Many home fires start in the kitchen.  Make your kitchen safer:

• If you are cooking on top of the range, stay in the room.
• Unless you have a reliable automatic oven, don’t leave food cooking in the oven when no one is home.
• Keep kitchen towels (including paper towels) and potholders away from the stove.  Loose clothing can catch fire.  It’s safest to wear short or tight-fighting sleeves when cooking.
• If a pan catches fire, put your hand in a mitt and cover the pan with a lid or wet towel.  Turn off the burner.  Never throw water on a grease fire.
• If a fire starts in an oven or microwave, keep the door closed and turn off the oven.  Unplug the microwave.
• If you can’t extinguish a kitchen fire immediately, call 911 and evacuate the house.

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