Starkville Fire Department officials urge residents to use caution while cooking holiday feasts after responding to two separate incidents last week.
Firefighters were called to two cooking fires last week, said Fire Marshal Stein McMullen. Neither incident produced significant damage.
SFD officials are bracing for additional calls this holiday season as cooking fires become more commonplace as Thanksgiving meals are prepared.
McMullen advises residents to never leave a stove, oven, grill or other cooking apparatus engaged and unattended.
McMullen also urged residents to install smoke detectors in their kitchens — those with detectors already placed should check their batteries — and have a working fire extinguisher nearby.
SFD has a smoke detector distribution program supplied through the state Fire Marshal’s Office. Detectors are available for free to the general public, but McMullen said SFD’s current supply is low.
Residents interested in receiving a free smoke detector should call Fire Station No. 1 at 662-323-1277.
According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration, 49.4 percent of residential building fires in 2013 were caused by cooking accidents. Comparatively, only 12.9 percent of residential fires that year were caused by heating apparatuses, while 6.1 percent were caused by electrical malfunctions.
Almost 30 percent of non-residential fires were caused by cooking incidents that year.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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