Non-Fire Cooking Burns

Tips

• Ranges or ovens were the most common cooking equipment involved in non-fire cooking burns. Only 14% of thermal burns involving ranges or ovens were due to fire or flame.
• Although tableware is not itself used for cooking, it often holds very hot food, soups or drinks, and may itself be very hot.
• Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges.
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Never hold a child while you are cooking, drinking a hot liquid, or carrying hot foods or liquids.

The Facts

• Children under five face a higher risk of non-fire cooking burns. These young children account for 6% of the population but much larger percentages of non-fire burn injuries from cooking equipment, tableware such as bowls and cups, and cookware such as pots and pans.
• In contrast to the non-fire burn estimate, reported home structure fires caused by cooking killed 530 people and injured 5,270 people. This was a fraction of total burn injuries caused by cooking, hot food, or hot drinks. Children under five accounted for only 6% of home cooking fire deaths and 3% of home cooking fire injuries. Cooking was still the leading cause of home fire injuries in the under 5 age group.