Cooking: a major cause of house fires

Cooking is the cause of almost half of house fires. Cooking fires are usually caused by human error and risky cooking habits and could often have been prevented had a high-quality cooker safety product been installed. Cooking fires are particularly concerning because of the formation of toxic gases (which starts a long time before a fire actually ignites) and the ability of the fire to spread rapidly. Toxic gases, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) are responsible for 60 - 80% of fire deaths.

According to London Fire Brigade, a fire is more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home.  In the year 2020 to 2021, Home Office fire data shows that cooking appliances were by far the biggest cause of accidental dwelling fires, accounting for 46% of house fires.

Traditional heat and smoke alarms vs. modern stove guards

Traditional heat and smoke alarms do not effectively help to prevent serious cooking fires as they are not equipped with the functionality to shut off the cooker in the case of a potential fire situation. In fact, smoke alarms are not recommended for use in the kitchen, as they do not react quickly enough in case of real danger and the steam and smoke produced when cooking can produce false alarms.

This is where a modern, standard-compliant stove guard has the advantage. By monitoring the cooker’s temperature, it can identify dangerous situations even before toxic gases are produced, and a fire can start. The most advanced models even self-adjust to the user’s cooking, resulting in improved alarm accuracy and extra safety. More widespread use of standard-compliant stove guards could contribute to a significant decrease in the number of kitchen fires everywhere.

An induction hob fire can start in 1.5 to 2 minutes maximum, and a traditional electric hob fire starts in only 6 minutes.