by: Lindsey Woods, Contributing Writer

Cooking is the No. 1 cause of house fires, which usually stem from human error. “Kitchen fires start because people get too complacent in the kitchen,” said Chicago Fire Marshall Louis Pukelis. Most of Columbia’s student-housing units have full kitchens, leaving students vulnerable to this dangerous kind of fire.

Oil (or grease) fires are the most common type of kitchen blaze, according to Pukelis. Prevention is the key, of course. Keeping a kitchen clean and using caution while operating a stove, oven or microwave is important. If the flames spread anywhere outside the appliance or pan it originated in, do not try to control it yourself. If the fire is confined to the pan, there are four simple steps to thwarting its spread.

1. Call 911

“The No. 1 thing to do in case of a fire is call 911,” Pukelis said. Even if you think you can control the fire, it is better to have help on the way before the problem gets out of control. Find the nearest fire alarm and pull it. This will notify the fire department and everyone in the building that there is a problem.

2.Turn the heat off

Cutting the fire’s heat source off is imperative. If you can, grab some oven mitts because the heat controller may be hot. It is important to act quickly because kitchen fires spread rapidly. If you own a fire extinguisher, Pukelis cautions against keeping it near appliances. Keep it on the opposite end of the kitchen from the oven and stove. “You need to keep it in a place that’s going to be away from the [potential] fire,” he said.

3. Use a damp dish cloth

Grab a dish towel as quickly as you can. Run the cloth under cool water and wring it out. It is important to saturate the cloth fully or else it can become fuel. Whatever you do, do not throw water on the fire. It could splatter the oil and cause the flames to spread. If there is no rag readily available, a baking sheet can work as a substitute.

4. Smother the flames

Smother the fire by tossing the damp cloth on the flames. If you opted for the baking sheet, slide it across the pot or pan where the fire originated, covering it completely to cut off the fire’s air flow. Don’t attempt to touch or move the pan until help arrives. If the flame is not out, notify everyone you can and evacuate the room as quickly as possible. If the fire is in a microwave or an oven, follow steps one, two and four, but do not open the appliance’s door. Pukelis stressed the most important step is the first one. “First call 911, and then attempt to extinguish the fire.”