Recently, City of Toronto Fire Services crews were dispatched to a fire in a third-floor residential unit. The fire was quickly extinguished and damage was kept at a minimum, but firefighters needed to treat a young woman with burns to approximately 40 per cent of her body.
It was determined that the woman was trying to move an overheated pot of oil from the kitchen to the balcony and had spilled hot oil on herself.
Toronto Fire Services reminds the public to follow safe practices when preparing a meal.
“Never try to move a pot that has caught fire,” said Deputy Fire Chief Frank Lamie. “Turn off the stove and smother flames with a lid until the flames go out and the pot cools. Never throw water or use flour on a grease fire. If the fire is not brought under control immediately, get yourself and your family out, sound the building alarm and call 9-1-1.”
Every year, Toronto Fire Services responds to personal injuries or death as a result of accidents resulting from cooking. The majority of kitchen fires involve cooking equipment such as stoves and microwave ovens.
