According to a new study from the National Fire Protection Association, (NFPA) fires caused by cooking remain the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Although cooking fires have been declining, they are declining at a much slower rate than home fires with other causes.

It is believed that these fires occur so frequently because people tend to leave cooking food unattended for periods of time. Often, the fire starts within the first 15 minutes of cooking, showing that there is no safe time to leave any cooking unattended.

In 2001, the NFPA study found, there were 117,100 home fires involving cooking equipment. These fires resulted in 370 civilian deaths, 4,290 civilian injuries, and $453 million in property damage. But that's only part of the story. Many minor cooking fires go unreported and do not show up in the official tallies. An independent survey found that each year, there are some 12.3 million cooking fires that are never reported to authorities, accounting for more than half of all unreported fires. In most cases, these unreported cooking fires were confined to the cooking materials that first caught fire. But they are responsible for an estimated 642,000 injuries or illnesses (including headaches and dizziness) each year-another reason why cooking fires remain a major concern.

Cooking fires are also dangerous because people can easily try putting them out the wrong way. What may first come to mind-using a fire extinguisher or splashing water-can often make matters worse. These methods can cause splattering that spreads rather than contains the fire. Most cooking fires should be smothered by covering a pan with a lid or by simply closing the oven door and removing the heat source.

The NFPA recommends these steps to reduce the risk of cooking fires:

Make sure combustible items, such as rags, pot holders, curtains and bags, are kept far from the cooking surfaces.

* Don't leave cooking food on the stovetop and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven.

* Don't cook if you are drowsy or feeling the effects of alcohol, medication or other drugs.

* Roll up sleeves and don't wear loose-fitting clothing. If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop and roll until fire is out.

* Clean cooking equipment regularly to remove grease or cooking materials that can ignite.

* Keep children and pets away from cooking areas by creating a three foot (or one meter) "kid-free zone" around the stove.

Interested in learning how you can become a member of the South Farmingdale Fire Department? There are immediate openings in both Fire and EMS positions. We offer free training and the chance to help out your community. To learn more about the SFFD log onto www.sffd970.com or call 249-4250.