Marine Park cooks beware!
Amateur chefs cause more kitchen fires in Community Board 18 than anywhere else in Brooklyn, according to the Fire Department. It’s a silly superlative, but with Thanksgiving and the holidays just around the corner, it’s also a serious safety concern, a leader said during the board’s Nov. 16 meeting.
“I laughed honestly when I heard this, I said ‘C’mon give me a break,’ ” said Community Board 18 district manager Dottie Turano. “But it’s a serious matter. You forget something’s on the stove or you forget to shut it off or whatever — it’s important.”
Between 2011 and 2015, smoke eaters responded to 2,667 food-on-stove fires in the district, which includes Marine Park, Mill Basin, Georgetown, Flatlands, Bergen Beach, and Canarsie. That averages out to more than 530 per year.
Department officials will give a presentation about fire safety and how to prevent food-on-stove blazes during the board’s Dec. 21 meeting, according to Turano, who asked New York’s Bravest to show up with hands-on learning materials.
“I asked them if they would come down, it should be pretty interesting. I told them bring a turkey and cook it,” she said.
Community Board 18 is second for food-on-stove fires citywide — even though it is only the city’s fifth most-populous community district, officials said.
The Fire Department also offers cooking-safety and fire-prevention tips online.
