The fire in the Silvas' house began near the basement heating
system. But a fire can start anywhere in the house. Here's how
to stop one before it starts: In the Kitchen (the most common
site of home fires) 1) Never leave cooking food unattended. 2)
When you're finished with appliances, turn them off and unplug
them. 3) Store flammable items such as dishtowels, pot holders
or wooden spoons away from stove and cooktop burners. 4) Keep
pot handles inward, out of reach. Teach children to stay three
feet away from the stove while you're cooking. 5) Have a large
oven mitt and a lid handy to smother small pan fires. In case of
a pan fire, carefully slide lid over flames and then turn off
burner. Clean stove top after cooking to prevent grease fires.
Throughout the House 1) Each year roughly 100,000 fires are
started by curious kids with matches or lighters, so keep them
out of reach, out of sight—preferably under lock and key. 2)
During the winter, heating equipment is the number one cause of
home fires and home fi