Five out of seven serious fires in London are caused by cooks who had been left the kitchen. Needless to say, fire security is an important topic in the residences of every college, especially Fanshawe College. A lot of first year students are away from their parents for the first time, so that means cooking by them self for the first time as well.
Residences like those at Kestrel Court are equipped with a stove, oven, microwave and more. Some students even bring along their own toasters or mini ovens. When people are inexperienced like that, accidents happen quickly. So what can you do to prevent your residence from burning down?
“If you’re cooking, stay in the kitchen and make sure you don’t leave for any reason,” says Deputy Fire Chief Jack Burt. “If the doorbell rings or something happens where you do have to leave, grab a spatula or something else of kitchen equipment and keep it in your hand to remind you that you still have food on the stove.”
If fire breaks out when you’re in the kitchen, Burt says if you can, try to put a lid over the top of the pot or the frying pan that’s burning. That will snuff out the oxygen and cause the fire to go out.
“If you can’t control the fire, make sure you get out of the house, get everybody else out and call 9-1-1,” said Burt.
“Besides unattended cooking, there is another dangerous cause for domestic fires. The number one cause of fatal fires in London is careless smoking. People fall asleep, they might have been drinking, they drop their burning cigarette on a chair or mattress, which can lead to fatal consequences. That is why I think it is a good rule that you can’t smoke on residence area,” explains Burt.
“We work very close with the post-secondary institutions here in London, so with Fanshawe and Western. If students have any questions, they can always call us here at the Fire Department,” concludes Burt.
