Maple Grove Fire Department Demonstrates Stovetop Firestops That Could Save Lives and Property Damage
Firefighters and community safety experts in Maple Grove encourage residents and homeowners to purchase stove-top fire stops to better protect their homes and families against the dangers of kitchen fires.
A stovetop firestop device puts out a burning pot of oil during a demonstration at Maple Grove Fire Department.
“Most people don’t give a lot of thoughts to cooking fire safety, to be completely honest,” said Investigator and Community Educator Jeremy Berger with the Maple Grove Fire Department. “It’s a product if you don’t know about it and aren’t looking for it, and aren’t in the fire safety community, you don’t know about. They can be purchased online or at several local hardware stores.”
The small metal canisters–slightly larger than a tin of cat food–attach to the hood of your stove with a magnet. If a fire breaks out on the stovetop, the flames will ignite a small wick on the can, and it will immediately release a fire extinguishing powder.
“Something like this could make a huge difference,” said Berger. “We’ve got distractions all around us: cell phones, people knocking on the door, TV, even falling asleep. This is a simple, inexpensive insurance policy that you can get and install in your home for a good peace of mind.”
During a demonstration at the fire station, Berger heated a small pot of oil on a propane burner, and within minutes, it had heated to a temperature that caused the oil to burst into flames. Within moments, the flames reached the hood, and the fire stop put out the fire.
“It’s a piece of technology that’s relatively inexpensive that can ultimately save lives and property,” said Berger. “A little bit of clean-up afterwards, but it certainly beats $10,000 to $15,000 (in property damage) for a small cooking fire.”
