• Clean your stovetop after each use.
  This prevents spilled fats and burnt foods from building up.
• Clean rangehood filters regularly.
• Keep a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket somewhere in your kitchen.
  Make sure you know how to use them.

• Don't drink and fry.
  Alcohol is involved in half of all fatal fires. Instead, pre-prepare a meal, get takeaways, or use the microwave. Never attempt to drink alcohol or take medication that makes you sleepy when cooking.
• Don’t leave the room when cooking.
  If you have to, always turn off the stove first. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of house fires in New Zealand.
• Keep curtains, tea towels, oven mitts and any flammable items well away from the cooking area when you're cooking.

Another big danger in the kitchen is scalds — burns caused by boiling water.

• Keep kids out of the kitchen or cooking areas when you're cooking or preparing meals.
• Keep kettles, jugs and teapots away from the edge of benches, tables and stove top.
• Turn saucepan handles so they're not sticking out over the floor. Use the elements or hot plates at the back of the stove if possible.
• Make sure all upright stoves are securely fastened to the wall and keep oven doors closed, except when grilling as per manufacturers instructions.
• For advice on treating scalds and burns, visit the St John website(external link). 

• If your frypan or pot is on fire, place the lid of the frypan or pot or another large flat object (like a chopping board) over the pan to starve the fire of oxygen.
• If you have a fire in your oven, try to turn off the power or gas, either at the stove or at the mains.
• Never throw water onto a frypan or pot that's on fire.
• Never attempt to carry a burning frypan or pot outside.

• Don't install a smoke alarm in your kitchen. Smoke and heat from cooking (and the toaster) can activate the alarm. Smoke alarms shouldn't be installed in the bathroom or laundry either.

• You can still protect these areas with a heat alarm. A heat alarm is designed to activate when the room reaches a set temperature. They are useful in places where a smoke alarm would usually give false alarms.

  For more information, take a look at our smoke alarm guide.