Kitchen Ventilation Safety Information:

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• Kitchen ventilation and ducting systems are important components to make sure everyday smoke, grease splatter and other airborne particles are exhausted to the outside.
• Proper kitchen ventilation is essential, but often overlooked in the scheme of regular cleaning and maintenance efforts.
• Kitchen ventilation and ducting should be inspected monthly for grease buildup, airflow obstructions, damaged ducting, etc.
• According to the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Data Center the following statistics relate to kitchen fires:

There are approximately 150,000 kitchen fires yearly.

On average, kitchen fires cause less property loss and are less fatal than structure fires, but result in a greater number of injuries.

Cooking causes nearly 90% of all kitchen fires. The primary factor in the ignition of these fires is unattended equipment, and the leading type of material first ignited is oil, fat, or grease.

Kitchen fires follow no seasonal patterns, and kitchen fires peaked during the dinner hours period between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

A smoke alarm was present and operational in 45% of kitchen fires, compared with 29% of all structure fires generally.

• The U.S. Fire Administration site can be viewed at www.usfa.dhs.gov.