Forgotten food on the stove – a cause of fires!

Food left unattended on the stove is a common reason for rescuers to be called out. The cause of food burning on the stove is ordinary human negligence.

Food left unattended on the stove is a common reason for rescuers to be called out. The cause of food burning on the stove is ordinary human negligence.

A pot or pan is placed on the stove and forgotten: the person falls asleep from fatigue or in a state of alcoholic intoxication, or sometimes even leaves the house. Often, after putting food on the stove, a person may consciously go to the grocery store to buy a missing ingredient.

Initial information in calls of this nature comes from neighbours who complain about the smell of burning or smoke in the entrance hall. If the premises are equipped with an autonomous smoke detector, it will activate upon the appearance of smoke, thereby warning of danger. If there is no smoke detector, forgotten food on the stove can lead to a serious fire. If all adverse conditions coincide, the entire house or apartment can burn down.

The smell of burning or smoke is the first sign that something is burning somewhere. In case of burning food, quick action will help: go to the kitchen, turn off the stove, and cover the burnt food or oil with a lid. This will lower the temperature, and the lid will prevent oxygen from entering, which will stop the burning. Then, ventilate the rooms. It is more complicated when the fire is already large and it is dangerous to approach it. In this case, you should close the kitchen door, close the windows if possible, leave the apartment, and call for help by dialling "101" or "112".

If you have a gas stove at home or are cooking over an open flame, your clothing, especially if made of synthetic material, also poses a danger. If your clothes catch fire, you can suffer fatal burns.

If you smell burning coming from the entrance hall, or hear an autonomous smoke detector beeping somewhere, try to find out where the smell or signal is coming from. Sometimes, knocking on a neighbour's door is enough to wake up a sleeping neighbour, thereby preventing the worst. However, if you have doubts or are unsure how to react to a particular danger signal, you should call "101" or "112".

And remember – your vigilance is the key to your safety!