Chesterfield Fire and EMS sees rise in kitchenrelated fires in early 2025
Mar 24, 2025
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Chesterfield County Fire and EMS is asking residents to remain vigilant after several kitchen-related fires have torn through homes this year.
According to fire officials, 32 of the fires its crews have responded to in the first three months of 2025 have been kit
chen-related. That accounts for 40% of all fire calls.
8News spoke to Lt. Chip Loving on Monday, March 24, who explained that, when it comes to kitchen fires, it's important to stay in the kitchen while you're cooking.
"We encourage everybody to kind of stay by it [and] make sure that, whatever you're cooking, you're watching [it]," Loving said. "If you do have a pot on the stove [that catches] on fire, the best thing that you can do is actually smother it -- so, put a lid on it, or if you have a large cookie sheet, you could slide the cookie sheet over it -- and then make sure you're turning off the burner."
Later on Monday, Chesterfield firefighters responded to another kitchen fire -- this one on Inspiration Drive. Said kitchen fire, now the 33rd in just three months, displaced two people.
8News spoke to Assistant Fire Chief John Boatwright at the scene of Monday night's fire, who said it was cooking-related.
The department has these extra safety reminders when frequenting the kitchen:
Never leave cooking food unattended. If so, turn the stove burner off.
If any smoke or grease begins to boil, turn the burner off as fires often start when the heat is too high.
Turn pan handles towards the back of the stove to avoid accidentally knocking them off.
Be sure to never leave flammable item,s such as oven mitts, near a heat source.
Keep a pan lid, baking sheet or fire blanket nearby as either can help smother a small fire on the stove.
Thankfully, no fires -- including Monday night's kitchen fire -- have been fatal, according to Loving. However, it is still important to be cautious.
"Practice your home escape plan, have a safe meeting place," he said. "That's where everybody in the home knows where to meet, to know that you all got out safely -- and that's where you should be calling 911 [from.]" ...read more read less
