Bigfork Fire Chief cooks up some fire safety tips
For the month of February, I would like to discuss kitchen fire prevention. Fire safety experts tell us that half of all house fires start in the kitchen. Some are electrical of course, but many are cooking related.
Naturally, since stoves produce either flames or red hot burners, this makes sense. And yet many of these cooking-related kitchen fires, if not the mass majority of them, are caused either by carelessness or violating some basic safety principles.
Let’s look at some of the things you can do to prevent fires and be safer in your kitchen. They say cleanliness is next to godliness, and it’s also important factor in reducing your risk of kitchen fires.
Pots and pans should be kept clean for fire safety. It’s especially important to give the outside a good scrubbing and the bottom too. It is important to keep the burner itself and the area around it clean.
Pots and pans do not catch fire; what’s inside and them does.
Should you ever have a fire on the stovetop or in the oven and it involves grease or oil, don’t throw water on it. Use baking soda or a fire extinguisher. If it is safe to do so, put a lid on it. Water will only spread a grease fire.
This article is from safetyresource.org.
This past month, the department has purchased a gas monitor from donations we have received from the public. This will provided safety to our firefighters and the residents when we respond for gas leaks or carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Bigfork Fire District has three open trustee positions, two for a three-year term and one year position to complete the remaining of an appointed position. Petitions can be picked up at the Bigfork Fire Station or at the Flathead County Election Department. Closing deadline is Thursday, Feb. 21 by 5 p.m.
Bigfork Fire Department responded to 43 incidents for the month of January:
o One Medical Assist
o 33 EMS calls, excluding vehicle accident with injury
o Two vehicle accident with injuries
o Five motor vehicle accidents with no injuries
o One assist invalid
o One dispatched and canceled en route
Be safe!
Wayne Loeffler,
Chief of Bigfork Fire Department