Unattended cooking top home fire cause

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Cooking fires are the leading cause of U.S. home fires, and cooks leaving food on the stove unattended is the top reason for cooking fires.

"With all the guests, distractions and stress of the holiday season, food preparation can be overwhelming -- and potentially dangerous -- for cooks this time of year," said Linda Golodner, president of the National Consumers League. "Our goal is to make cooking as easy and as safe as possible this holiday season."

NCL's brochure, "Good Cooking Starts with Safe Cooking," offers busy, time-starved cooks tips to prevent accidents in the kitchen. The brochure is available via the Web site nclnet.org or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NCL at 1701 K Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington, D.C., 20006.

The new brochure offers consumers ways to improve home safety by:

-- Learning how to tell whether a pan is properly preheated. If you are using a non-stick or empty pan, flick a few drops of water onto the pan. Once the water droplets begin to sizzle in the pan, it is hot enough, but never flick water into hot oil -- the spattering oil can cause serious burns.

-- Use a stove burner that matches the size of the pan bottom.

-- Wash cooking surfaces to remove grease -- and prevent fires.

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