Cooking Oil: A Home Fire Hazard in Alberta, Canada

Item Type Journal Article
Author Mahendra S. Wijayasinghe
Author Thomas B. Makey
URL http://dx.doi.org.proxy.uchicago.edu/10.1023/A:1015395001403
Volume 33
Issue 2
Pages 140-166
Publication Fire Technology
Date May 01, 1997
DOI 10.1023/A:1015395001403
Accessed 2009-07-22 16:31:04
Library Catalog SpringerLink
Abstract This paper begins with a brief statistical analysis to establish the significant contribution of cooking equipment fires to fire losses and injuries in Canadian homes. Due to lack of comprehensive fire loss data for Canadian homes, further analysis is focused on Alberta data. The most frequent ignition scenario, based on a top-down analysis of Alberta home fires, was the ignition of overheated cooking oil in pots, deep-fat fryers, or pans heated on stove tops. These fires also accounted for the majority of home fire injuries. Fire characteristics of cooking oils, which point to the importance of maintaining oil temperatures below their flash points, and thermostatically controlled deep-fat fryers as the best available solution to the problem are discussed.
Short Title Cooking Oil
Date Added 2009-07-22 12:31
Added By Forest Gregg
Date Modified 2009-07-22 12:31

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