The Winston-Salem Fire Department had a busy summer this year! In July, firefighters responded to 14 structure fires along with other calls for car crashes and medical emergencies.
One of the leading causes for house fires is unattended cooking. In North Carolina, 96 percent of house fires are caused by cooking. 66 percent of those are started from food or other cooking materials catching on fire.
Ranges and stovetops account for almost 62 percent of home cooking fires.
Theresa Knopps, risk reduction specialist at the Winston-Salem Fire Department, emphasized the importance of staying in the kitchen while cooking, along with a home fire escape plan. She also encourages people to assess the flammability of their cooking materials, like cooking oil.
Smoke detectors are also key to fire safety. The Winston-Salem Fire Department has responded to several fires this year where houses didn't have working smoke alarms.
"A smoke alarm does just that - it doesn't prevent a fire. It won't prevent an accident, but it will add to the probability of you remaining safe in that accident," said Quincy Jackson Sr., assistant fire marshal at the fire department.
Often times, local fire departments will install smoke alarms for you if you call to request the service.
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