When it comes to apartment buildings, the kitchen truly is the most dangerous room in the home. Even though incidents of apartment fires have dropped by more than 20% since 1980, according to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), and deaths from apartment fires dropped by 40% during that time, apartment cooking fires still remain the greatest safety threat for tenants. WHY APARTMENT COOKING FIRES ARE SO DANGEROUS
When compared to any other cause of fire in apartments, cooking has a distinct lead. And even though cooking fires are a danger in one or two-family dwellings, apartments have double the rate of cooking fires. What makes them more dangerous is that one person’s fire, if not contained immediately, can spread through a building and affect other units and tenants. Learning why cooking fires are so prevalent in apartments and knowing what options are available for preventing them are important first steps. But it’s also critical to be able to educate tenants on what they can do if an apartment cooking fire breaks out.
WHAT MAKES KITCHENS SO DANGEROUS? Kitchens are used daily by household members of all ages, so it’s easy to forget the many dangers that can be found there. People decide to cook when they’re sleepy, when they’re intoxicated and when they’re distracted. And all those things can be just as dangerous in the kitchen as they are behind the wheel of a car.
ONE PERSON’S FIRE, IF NOT CONTAINED IMMEDIATELY, CAN SPREAD THROUGH A BUILDING AND AFFECT OTHER UNITS AND TENANTS
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