The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 95 years, has announced “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen” as the theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 4-10, 2020. NFPA’s focus on cooking fire safety comes in response to home cooking fires representing the leading cause of U.S. home fires, with nearly half (49 percent) of all home fires involving cooking equipment; unattended cooking is the leading cause of these fires.

“Cooking continues to be a major contributor to the home fire problem,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “The good news is that the vast majority of these fires are highly preventable. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign works to better educate the public about where potential cooking hazards exist and basic but critical ways to prevent them.”

Carli notes that this year’s focus on cooking safety is particularly timely. “As the public may continue to avoid restaurants for some time and opt instead to do more cooking and entertaining at home, the potential for home cooking fires will likely increase as well.”

Key messages around this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen” will include the following:

* Keep a close eye on what you’re cooking; never leave cooking unattended

* Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — at least three feet away from your stovetop.

* Be on alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” along with a wealth of resources to help promote the campaign locally, visit fpw.org.