Stove fires continue to be a major source of home cooking fires. While you may or may not be a good cook, you can always cook smart.

Follow this recipe for kitchen safety:

• Supervise children and the elderly at all times and monitor your own cooking just as closely.
• Keep the handles of pots turned inward so they don’t hang over the edge of the stove.
• Avoid wearing loose sleeves while cooking; they can be ignited easily by a burner or a grease splatter.
• Clear your immediate cooking area of aerosol spray cans, combustible liquids such as alcohol or turpentine, and flammable materials (e.g., curtains).
• Never pour water on a grease fire. Water can cause the grease to splatter, burning you or spreading the fire. Instead, smother the flames. Do this by carefully sliding a lid over the pan or by throwing salt or baking soda on the flame. Then turn off the burner.
• Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen, approximately 10 feet away from the stove; learn how to use it properly.
• Use cooking appliances for cooking only, not to heat the home.