Cooking Is the Top Cause of Home Fires, Turn Off the Burner
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) says cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Stay with your pan while cooking, and turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen; keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby and slide it over a pan fire to smother it.
USFA data show fire departments responded to an estimated 170,000 home cooking fires in 2021; in nonconfined cooking fires, the leading factor in ignition was unattended equipment (37%). This article follows USFA’s cooking fire safety page: what to watch for, and the numbers.
What to watch for
USFA explains (USFA Cooking Fire Safety):
- Stay with your pan: stay by your pan while cooking; if you leave the kitchen, turn off the burner.
- Watch the heat: fires start when the heat is too high; if you see smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn off the burner.
- Handles toward the back: turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so no one can bump them or pull them over.
- Lid within reach: keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby, and slide it over a pan fire to smother it.
- Keep things that burn away from the stovetop: a USFA graphic also reminds you to keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop.
- Pictographs: keep 10 feet between the smoke alarm and the stove; put a lid over a skillet fire; don’t use extension cords for kitchen appliances.
USFA’s numbers
- Leading cause: cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
- 2021 estimates: fire departments responded to an estimated 170,000 home cooking fires, which caused an estimated 135 deaths, 3,000 injuries and over $494 million in property loss.
- Unattended equipment: in nonconfined home cooking fires, the leading factor in ignition was unattended equipment, at 37%.
For how to escape a fire, see Fires Can Turn Life-Threatening in 2 Minutes, Plan 2 Exits; for where to put smoke alarms and how often to test them, see Smoke and CO Alarms on Each Level, Test Smoke Alarms Monthly; for space heater safety in winter, see Keep Space Heaters 3 Feet Clear, Turn Off When You Leave.
What this article doesn’t cover
- Grease fires in detail: the page only says to smother a pan fire with a lid or baking sheet and gives no other methods, so this article doesn’t either.
- Oven and microwave fires: the page doesn’t cover them, so this article doesn’t either.
- Turkey fryers: USFA has a separate turkey fryer infographic that this article didn’t review.
- Fire extinguishers and burns: USFA has separate pages on fire extinguishers and burn first aid that this article didn’t review.
FAQ
What if I need to leave the kitchen while cooking?
USFA says to turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen.
What should I do if a pan catches fire?
USFA says to keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby and slide it over the pan to smother the fire.
Why turn pot handles to the back?
USFA says turning pot handles toward the back of the stove keeps anyone from bumping them or pulling them over.
Is cooking really the main cause of fires?
Yes. USFA says cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, with an estimated 170,000 in 2021.
Sources and date checked
All checked on 2026-11-01.
- U.S. Fire Administration, Cooking Fire Safety (page reviewed 2026-09-28):https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/cooking/