Did you know that almost half of the house fires in Australia start in the kitchen – all because cooking was being left unattended?

To help prevent kitchen fires, Fire & Rescue NSW has released the Keep Looking When Cooking mini mag. Available in cafés, bars, community centres and other locations all over NSW, it features a great collection of recipes from firefighters that will give you the answer to that perennial question – “What’s for dinner tonight?”

The Keep Looking When Cooking mini mag also has handy tips on how to stay fire safe in the kitchen. Fires can spread in minutes, but it only takes seconds to stop them!

You can also visit the Keep Looking When Cooking website to download the mini mag recipes, as well as additional recipes. If you’d like to share your delicious recipes, post them to Fire & Rescue NSW facebook page with the hashtag #KeepLookingWhenCooking

Kitchen fire safety tips

• NEVER leave cooking unattended. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove or use a timer to remind you to check your cooking.
• DON’T put anything metallic in the microwave as metal can spark and cause it to catch on fire.
• KEEP matches and lighters out of reach of children as they are unaware of the dangers.
• STORE flammable items (aerosols, cleaning agents and cooking oil etc.) away from heat as they can explode.
• DON’T cook under the influence of alcohol or drugs as it impairs your judgement.
• KEEP loose clothing, fabrics, tea towels and curtains away from the stove as they can catch on fire.
• TURN pot handles inwards to avoid being knocked or grabbed by children.
• KEEP your oven and range hood clean. Excess grease and fat can ignite in a fire.
• DON’T use LPG cylinders for cooking or heating indoors.

If a fire does occur:

• NEVER put water on a fat or oil fire as it will immediately intensify and spread
• TURN off the stove and use the lid to smother the flame if you can
• GET OUT, STAY OUT AND CALL TRIPLE ZERO ‘000’.