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Holiday Cooking
The holidays can be busy and hectic at work as well as at home.
With all of the hustle and bustle going on, it is very easy to forget that you placed a pan on the stove to cook. The next thing you know, you are sidetracked with something else going on in the home and you have forgotten about the pan….. until the fire starts and the smoke alarms lets you know what you have forgotten. At this point, you need to react quickly. Some of the more common kitchen fires are described below.
Dry Cooking Fires
The most common type of cooking fire is the dry cooking fire. The water or moisture boils out of the pan and the food left in the pan scorches, producing smoke. The heat may sometimes damage the surrounding area. The smoke may leave a residue and an order.
Grease Fires
Grease fires can occur when oil or greasy types of foods are heated beyond the manufacturer's recommendations and catch fire. A grease fire can do significant damage to your home, and if left unattended, can spread. Open flames can extend to surrounding cabinets or other combustible items. If unnoticed, a grease fire can grow into a major house fire, engulfing the entire kitchen, adjacent rooms or even the attic. This becomes a dangerous, life-threatening fire.
Oven Fires
During an oven fire, the fire is usually contained right in the oven, which is designed for high heat anyway. The oven fire usually suffocates or is easily extinguished. If a fire does break out in your oven, it would be a good idea to keep the door shut, as this will remove the supply of oxygen to the fire and it will eventually go out.
What can you do if there is a kitchen fire?
- In all cases, make sure everyone evacuates the house
- Call 911 and report the fire
- If the fire is still very small, you can use a fire extinguisher to try and put it out. But if the fire gets out of control, get out of the house and wait for firefighters to arrive.
You might be able to extinguish a grease fire on the stove in several different ways. The simplest way is to place a lid on the pan and the fire should suffocate. A large amount of baking soda can also be used to extinguish a grease fire. Once you have the fire extinguished, don't forget to turn off the burner. If the flames are too high, don't risk getting burned. Remember, get out and call 911.
It's not about saving lives; it's about saving your life.
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Fire Department
Physical Address
325 W Horne Street
Clayton, NC 27520
Phone: 919-553-1520Emergency Phone: 911
- Why do fire trucks sometimes travel with their lights and siren on, and then all of a sudden turn them off?
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When a call for service is dispatched, CFD responds with specific apparatus and manpower, depending upon the type of call. When a CFD representative (Chief Officer, first-in Engine, etc) arrives and conducts a "size-up", additional resources may be canceled from the call or told to reduce their response to a routine response.
- My fire alarm went off and I contacted my alarm company and told them everything was OK and not to send the Fire Department and they still showed up, why?
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When a fire alarm company contacts our dispatch center (Johnston County E-911 Communications) and they dispatch us, we have to respond to the incident for insurance purposes. Sometimes, the dispatcher will inform us that the alarm company has requested to cancel, and at that time the Officer in-charge will inform the additional responding apparatus to cancel and the closest unit will respond to the incident. When we arrive we check for things such as:
- Ensure the alarm system functioned correctly
- Ensure a fire that has been extinguished has not spread to an adjacent area
- Ensure no malicious acts are being done (starting a fire and then telling the alarm company to cancel the fire department)
- Ensure the area doesn't need to be ventilated
- Depending upon damage (even from small fires), insurance companies sometimes require a fire report
- Answer any questions the homeowner/resident/business owner has.
- Can I be fined for false fire alarms? What constitutes a false alarm?
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Yes. For Town of Clayton residents, there is an alarm ordinance. A false alarm is an alarm in which the system malfunctions for no apparent reason, or where a system is activated (manual pull station) when there is no fire. A fire alarm that goes off for accidental reasons such as burnt food is not considered a false alarm (the system is doing what it's designed to do) but repeat offenses may result in suggestions and/or recommendations from the Fire Marshal.
If you have a question you don't see in the FAQs, feel free to contact Clayton Fire Department at 919-553-1520, or you can "Like" us on Facebook and ask us there!