October 4th to the 10th marks Fire Prevention Week in North America, which coincides with our local city and county fire departments hosting recruitment drives for anyone interested in becoming a part-time firefighter.

The focus this year is on fire hazards in the kitchen, as many people try their hands at being cooking experts while experiencing more downtime due to the pandemic, with some people getting into fire trouble when trying out a new cooking technique or exotic dish.

Lacombe Fire Chief Dennis Cole says grease fires are one of the most common ways a fire can start while cooking, and can often get worse when people panic and try to put it out using water.

“I’ve seen lots of kitchen fires over my years that people’s first instinct is to pick it up and put it in the sink, and next thing they’re entire kitchen is on fire, right? So just remain calm, put a lid on it, shut the burner off, and let it cool down and then it will go out.”

Baking soda is also another way to safely extinguish a grease fire.

Cole says keeping small children away from dangerous kitchen appliances and having a comprehensive fire plan that the entire family knows off by heart are important things to consider having in the event of an emergency.

“Just know how to get out, have two ways out: if something is happening and you can’t get out your normal way, think how else can you get out? And it’s a good idea to also have a meeting point outside, so that everybody knows that if something happens, we get out and go to this one location and then we know everybody’s safe. And that’s great for our job as well, once we show up on scene, everybody’s out, everybody’s accounted for, everybody’s safe, and that makes our job that much easier.”

He also says that letting fire crews know of any pets that might still be inside and where they could possibly be located is also important. Having a sign on your front door indicating which animals are inside is also a good way to protect your fur babies.

Some other tips to keep your kitchens safe and fire free include:

  • Watch what you heat: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen for any reason.
  • Don’t add fuel to the fire: In case of a grease fire, never move the pot or pan. Simply slide a tight-fitting lid over the pot or pan to smother the flames, and then turn off the heat. Never throw water or flour on a grease fire.
  • Declutter your cooktop: Keep cooking areas clear of combustibles such as potholders, dish towels, and food packaging can lower reduce the risk of fire.
  • Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Working smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms should be installed and maintained on every level of your home.

The Lacombe Fire Department will be out and about in our community this week, awarding those who had properly working smoke detectors with pizza last night.

They will be hosting and open house at the fire hall on Thursday, October 8th from 6 pm until 9 pm, and will be at the Lacombe Co-op and Lionel’s No Frills this Saturday for a meet and great and equipment demonstrations.

They are also in the middle of a recruitment drive, more information on that can be found by clicking here to go to the City of Lacombe’s website, or click here to go to Lacombe County's website.