Cooking causes more home fires than anything else. The U.S. Fire Administration says cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, and most start on the cooktop when something is left unattended. The good news is that most of them are preventable, and the ones that start can usually be stopped quickly if you know what to do.
This checklist is organized by situation: what to set up ahead of time, what to do while cooking, and what to do if something catches fire.
Set up the kitchen
- Keep a lid nearby. A lid that fits your largest frying pan is the fastest way to smother a pan fire.
- Get an extinguisher. A multipurpose extinguisher suitable for kitchen fires, mounted near an exit rather than directly over the stove, so you can reach it without reaching through flames. Read the instructions before you need them.
- Test the smoke alarm closest to the kitchen. If it goes off every time you sear something, move it according to the manufacturer's instructions, don't remove the battery.
- Clear the zone around the cooktop. Towels, paper towels, wooden spoons, mail and packaging all burn. Keep them at least a few feet away from burners.
- Clean the range hood filter. Grease builds up in the filter and can ignite. Most metal mesh filters can be soaked in hot, soapy water or run through the dishwasher; check your manual.
- Check the cooktop surface. A cracked glass cooktop should not be used until it's replaced.
While you cook
- Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, broiling or boiling. If you have to leave, even briefly, turn the burner off.
- Turn pot handles inward so they can't be bumped.
- Heat oil gradually. If it starts to smoke, turn the heat down or off.
- Wear short or close-fitting sleeves near open flames or hot elements.
- Keep children and pets out of a three-foot zone around the stove.
- Use a timer for anything in the oven, and check on long-cooking dishes.
If there's a fire
Grease or pan fire on the cooktop
- Slide a lid or a baking sheet over the pan to smother it.
- Turn off the burner.
- Leave the lid on until the pan has cooled completely.
- Never use water on a grease fire, and never try to carry a burning pan outside.
Fire inside the oven or microwave
- Turn the appliance off and keep the door closed. Lack of oxygen usually puts it out.
- Unplug a microwave if that can be done safely.
- Don't open the door until the fire is out and the appliance has cooled.
When to get out
If the fire spreads beyond the pan or appliance, or if you're unsure, get everyone out, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside. Don't try to fight a fire that's growing.
Small appliances
- Plug countertop heating appliances, like toasters, air fryers, electric kettles and toaster ovens, directly into the wall, not into power strips or extension cords.
- Keep crumbs out of toasters and toaster ovens; empty the crumb tray regularly.
- Unplug small appliances when not in use, especially ones with heating elements.
- Check cords for fraying or damage. Replace anything with a damaged cord.
- Look up any appliance you're unsure about on the CPSC recall site.
Microwaves have their own concerns; our microwave safety guide covers door interlocks, arcing and what not to put inside.
Signs your cooktop or range needs service
- A burner or element that won't turn off, or stays hot after it's turned off.
- Sparks, popping or flickering at an electric element or its socket.
- A gas burner that lights with a whoosh or a delayed pop.
- A knob that turns on with a light bump.
- Scorched or melted controls.
Any of these warrant switching off the appliance and having it checked. Our cooktop repair technicians work on gas, electric and induction units, and the stove repair team handles freestanding models.
A five-minute walk-through
Once a month, before you cook dinner, look at the cooktop area as if it belonged to someone else. Is anything flammable within reach of a burner? Is the lid where it should be? Is the hood filter shiny or dull with grease? Fix what you see, and you've removed most of the risk.