LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the coronavirus epidemic keeps more and more people at home, Louisville Fire says the department has responded to more kitchen fires than in previous years.
Capt. Bobby Cooper with LFD said from March 17 to April 17, runs on kitchen cooking fires were up more than 50% compared to 2019. Cooking, Cooper said, is the leading cause of structure fires—often started when someone leaves their food unattended.
“It’s easy to see how it can happen in the current situation that we’re in. You have people that are home more often, you have kids that are busy, you have parents who are busy...so they simply get distracted," Cooper said.
The department offered tips on preventing kitchen fires, saying to always stay in the kitchen when you are cooking and make it a habit to turn off the stove every time you leave, even if it is just for a short period of time.
"We’re also encouraging you if you are monitoring the food that you’re cooking you should also monitor you’re kids and supervise them closely because we are likely to see an uptick in other accidents," Cooper said.
During his Wednesday press conference, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the department is also getting more carbon monoxide calls.
Fischer said a Louisville family got an alert on their security system that their home had high carbon monoxide levels. They called 911, where the fire department turned off the gas and helped air out the home. Louisville Fire received a $2,500 donation from ADT, a home security company, for its services.
Louisville Fire said everyone should make sure they have carbon monoxide alarms in their homes. Never leave a car running in a garage, and never use ovens to heat your home.
Today's fires burn hotter and faster than those in previous years. Louisville Fire suggested practicing safety escape plans while everyone is at home, and testing both carbon monoxide and fire alarms.
LFD will come and install a smoke detector for free. Call 311 to request a free detector and home safety assessment.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.