Photo by Shelley Hanson Wheeling Fire Department firefighters Nolan Brown, left, and Nate Vapner hold some of items to give people in front of the Warwood Kroger on Wednesday afternoon as part of Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme is about preventing kitchen and cooking fires.

WHEELING — Kitchens are the No. 1 spot for fires to occur in a home, and the No. 1 cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking, said Wheeling Fire Department Assistant Chief Deric Jamison.

With this in mind, the Wheeling Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Week messages this week to school-aged children, seniors in high rises and adults in general is focused on preventing kitchen fires and how to safely extinguish them if necessary.

Jamison said the best tool to put out a fire on a stovetop is the lid that fits that particular pan.

“We recommend if you have a pan burning to already have the lid available, that fits that pan snugly. Using that lid you can shield yourself and hopefully it smothers the fire,” he said.

Jamison added once the fire appears to be out, that one should not “peek” at the fire by lifting the lid. Call the fire department to check for any possible embers that may have extended into a cupboard or cabinet, he said.

Throwing water on a grease fire, he added, is a bad idea as water and oil do not mix and could make the fire worse.

He said fire extinguishers can also be used, but must be kept in a location that is easy to reach and not buried behind pots and pans or cleaners.

Fire extinguishers should also be checked to make sure they’re in working order; this means checking the expiration date and seeing that the pin and other parts are still in place and not losing pressure.

While cooking, Jamison said if one needs to step away from the stove for any reason, such as to answer the door or the phone, one should simply turn the burner off to prevent a possible kitchen fire.

“Cooking safety is not limited to the stovetop. If there’s a fire inside the oven, shut the heat off and leave the door closed. Call us to come check it,” he said.

Microwaves should also be used with care as they are also known for causing burns from the very hot steam that it creates in foods cooked inside of them. This can happen when someone is removing a lid, or reaching inside the microwave to mix something.

“Outdoor cooking on gas grills is another fire problem. Keep them away from the house and not underneath a covering or a deck or anything where a fire is going to spread,” Jamison said.

“Check gas lines for leaks before using them. Make sure there’s not a buildup of grease inside.”

He added that grills should also not be left unattended while in use. If a fire does begin, one should close the lid and shut off the burners. People should stay far away from it.

Jamison said Fire Prevention Week began to commemorate the Chicago fire of 1871 that burned 17,000 structures and killed hundreds of people. He noted that same year the Midwest in general was prone to fires because of very dry conditions. For example, there was a massive wildfire that caused nearly 1,200 deaths and burned more than a 1 million acres of land.

“The whole Midwest was a tinderbox,” he added.

To wrap the week of educating the public, the fire department has one more event planned. It will be at the Lowe’s in Wheeling from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday to do fire prevention projects and offer coloring sheets and other activities for children.