Big Bear City, CA, November 27, 2013 – Local firefighters will rush to your house in a pinch, but they offer the following advice to avoid needing them in the first place:
• Clean ovens and stove tops thoroughly before cooking so that built-up grease can’t ignite.
• Don’t leave cooking food unattended on the stove or in the oven — especially not overnight.
• Keep guests, especially children and pets, out of the kitchen to avoid the overcrowding that can lead to accidents.
• Be sure pot handles are facing away from the front of the stove and that appliance cords are safely out of the way.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy (and know how to use it).
Additional kitchen safety information can be found online.
CAL FIRE has its own special restrictions regarding open fires:
1. Use of campfires is restricted to within established campfire facilities located in established campgrounds open to the public.
2. Cooking fires with a valid permit are permissive when no alternate means of cooking is available and requires an on-site inspection prior to the issuance of a permit.
3. Warming fires with a valid permit are permissive and require an on-site inspection prior to the issuance of a permit when weather conditions exist to justify the request.
4. Burn permits issued to property owners for their parcels will have been inspected to ensure adequate clearance and prevention guidelines to reduce the risk of uncontrolled fires.
5. Project burn permits will continue to be reviewed as set forth by the Unit and local CAL FIRE Chief Officer in that area.
