CONTRIBUTED BY
WENDY HODGE
FOR THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY —
As Fire Prevention Week approaches, Top Hat Chimney Sweeps wants to remind residents that “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.”
In conjunctionw with Fire Prevention Week (FPW) Top Hat Chimney Sweeps is hosting a “COOK WISE” event on Oct. 13. There will be raffle prizes such as Fire extinguishers, co detectors, smoke alarms and a Primo grill valued at $1,900
The event will take place at 1280 Financial Court in Auburn from 11a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Top Hat Chimney Sweeps is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.”
The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.
According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.
“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for [nearly] half (49%) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”
Top Hat Chimney Sweeps encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, “Cooking safety starts with YOU,” said Trent Simmons, Top Hat Chimney Sweeps CEO.
“A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
Top Hat Chimney Sweeps offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire.
- Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
- Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
Top Hat Chimney Sweeps is hosting an event in support of this year’s FPW campaign on Oct. 13, 2023 which includes food provided by Chick-Fil-A, raffles and activities for pre-school and kindergarten-age children. A fire truck will be on-site along with first responders from our community. This event will be held at the Top Hat Chimney Sweeps site at 1280 Financial Court in Auburn, AL.
To find out more about this event, please contact Wendy Hamby at Top Hat Chimney
Sweeps at 334-749-3559. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week
and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org . For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org .