Unattended cooking remains leading cause of house fires in Windsor, officials warn

Windsor Fire is advising not to leave cooking unattended in an effort to prevent unnecessary fires. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has the details.

Windsor Fire officials are urging residents to stay in the kitchen while cooking, warning that unattended stoves continue to be one of the leading causes of house fires and fire-related injuries.

Chief Fire Prevention Officer John Smith said crews are responding to repeated incidents where residents leave food unattended on the stove and become distracted.

“People are not staying in the kitchen when they’re cooking. They’re leaving the kitchen, forgetting to turn the stove off. They kind of get distracted by whether it’s a cell phone call or kids or pets,” Smith said.

“That seems to be the number one issue right now that we’re having.”

Smith told CTV News the issue is not unique to Windsor, noting unattended cooking is a widespread problem across Ontario.

“Across the province, it’s the number one cause of fire right now. It’s also the number one cause of injury from fires in the province,” he said.

Fire officials said even small kitchen fires can quickly escalate, putting residents and firefighters at risk. Smith is reminding residents to take simple precautions while cooking, particularly when dealing with grease or boiling liquids.

“Be in the kitchen when you’re cooking. Don’t be distracted. If you’re cooking with grease, any kind of grease, or even boiling water with eggs in it, that’s a hazard too. Have a pot that’s got readily available lid to go on top. Do not throw water on any kind of a fire that’s on the stove. The best thing is to is isolate that with a lid and shut off the stove,” Smith said.

He added preparation and awareness can make a significant difference in preventing fires.

“Just stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking. Use the proper equipment when you’re cooking, your pots and pans. Have a backup plan if there’s a fire. Have an oven mitt nearby that you could use to put a lid on a fire,” Smith said.

“Know your temperatures of your cooking greases, do not overheat the greases. Remove all the combustibles away from the area of the stove and any loose clothing too, be careful of loose clothing. The main thing is stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking. You can use a timer if you if you wish to remind you that something needs to be taken out of the oven or off the stovetop.”

According to Smith, Windsor Fire crews have already responded to multiple stove-related incidents this year.

“This year, it looks like we’ve had eight stovetop fires of some kind and at least one appliance fire. So right now, we’re on our way. If we do the math, we can succeed 180, which we don’t want. We want to bring those numbers down,” Smith said.

Fire officials said staying attentive while cooking remains the simplest and most effective way to prevent kitchen fires and reduce the risk of injury or damage.