Kitchen fire in east Las Vegas Valley sparks concerns for Clark County Fire Department

Reports of a kitchen fire Monday morning prompted the Clark County Fire Department to issue a reminder about safe cooking for the holiday season.

Though the 7 a.m. fire at 3900 East Sunset Road caused no major injuries, one person was displaced and taken to Desert Springs because of smoke inhalation.

The Clark County Fire Department encourages the public to take the following precautions:

• Be on alert: Don’t use the stove or stovetop while sleepy or intoxicated.
• Stay in the kitchen while preparing hot food.
• Check food regularly if simmering, baking or roasting and use a timer.
• Keep the stovetop clear of anything that can catch fire, including oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels and curtains.

The Fire Department recommends the public do the following if cooking fire starts:

• Get out and close the door behind you to stop the fire from spreading.
• Call 911 or the local emergency number.
• If trying to fight the fire, make sure others are not in the area and that they have a way out.
• Smother small grease fires by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the heat. Leave the pan covered until cooled.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door shut.

When using oil, the Fire Department suggests:

• Staying in the kitchen while frying and keep an eye on the pan. Smoke and oil smells indicate that the oil is too hot. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.
• Heating oil slowly for frying and sauteing.
• Avoiding oil splatters by adding food gently to the pan.
• Keeping a lid beside the pan in the event of grease fires.

Contact Rachel Hershkovitz at rhershkovitz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @rzhershkovitz on Twitter.