The State Fire Marshal’s Office is joining forces with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to remind residents to ‘Prevent Kitchen Fires.’

According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two of every five home fires begin in the kitchen—more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries.

“Make fire prevention a key ingredient when you cook” says State Fire Marshal Charles Duffy. “It only takes a few second for a dangerous fire to start so exercise culinary caution. We hope that Fire Prevention Week reaches citizens before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.”

Recommended kitchen safety tips:

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.

• If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

• When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.

• If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove.

• When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.

• Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from your stovetop.

• Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops.

Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record.