A fire prevention expert in Ottawa is advising residents that kitchen fires are a common, but typically preventable, form of home fire. According to Leanne Labbee, an Ottawa fire prevention officer, there were 128 kitchen fires in Ottawa in 2024, and 154 in 2025. To date, there have been 70 kitchen fires in Ottawa. “A lot of them happen because we’re not paying attention or leaving something unsupervised,” Labbee said. Labbee joined CTV Your Morning Ottawa on Wednesday to offer some kitchen fire prevention tips. Prevention According to Labbee, unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires across North America, Canada and in Ottawa. She says the best way to prevent kitchen fires is to stay attentive. “So, the easiest thing to do is stand by your pan, or watch what you heat,” Labbee said. “So, paying attention to what you have on the stove, especially if you’re grilling, broiling, boiling, anything like that on the stove that would require the constant attention.” When using the stove, Labbee says it’s important to ensure there is nothing on the stovetop that can catch fire. She also recommends using a timer when cooking something for an extended period of time. “We all nowadays carry a cell phone on us, and they have a timer,” he said. “Just something to remind you to check out what you’re doing.” Labbee also recommends regularly cleaning the hood fan above your stove as grease and oil residue can build up there. “It’s a good idea to check them every once in a while. Stick them in some warm soapy water, clean them up, and then put them back up. That will also help stop any fire from spreading if you happen to have one,” Labbee said. Fire response If a small kitchen fire does break out, there are a few ways to put it out, Labbee says. First, Labbee recommends owning a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher should be kept in an easy to access place, and not directly above the stove where it may be hard to reach during a cooking fire. A simple way to put out a fire in a pot or pan is to turn off the heat and place a lid on top of the cooking instrument to snuff out the fire. If you don’t have a lid for the pan, a sheet pan can work as well. Labbee says another way to kill a fire is by sprinkling either baking soda or salt on the flame. If you ever feel as though you can’t safely put out a fire or if you’re struggling to kill the flame, vacate the residence immediately and call 911. “Your safety is the number one,” Labbee said. “So, if you are ever concerned and you just feel, ‘I’m not going to try,’ just get out and make sure that you’re calling 911 and having everybody else in the house evacuate as well.” What to avoid Labbee says water should never be used to put out any type of grease fire. “Please never ever add water to any type of cooking fire that has grease in it, be it just butter, margarine, animal fats, oils that you’ve added, because it will have a volatile reaction,” Labbee said. Likewise, other pantry stapes are not replacements for baking soda or salt. “Sugar and flour are not to be used. They will actually react similar to the way oil and grease will,” she said. How to use a fire extinguisher Fire extinguishers come with directions on the label; however, if you’re ever in doubt about how to use it, Labbee says you can recall the PASS method. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupation Health and Safety, the PASS method involves: Typically, a fire extinguisher will last approximately 12 to 15 years, Labbee says.
