Kitchen Fire Caused by Unattended Cooking

What's the #1 Cause of House Fires?

Ever left dinner simmering while distracted by a phone call, only to return to a kitchen filled with smoke? You're not alone. Cooking fires are the leading cause of house fires in the U.S., accounting for nearly half of all residential fires. If you’re worried about fire safety in Utah, understanding these risks is the first step toward peace of mind. In this post, you'll discover exactly what causes these fires and simple tips to keep your family safe.

What Causes Most House Fires?

Cooking is the #1 cause of house fires, accounting for roughly 49% of all incidents, according to FEMA. Most kitchen fires start when cooking is left unattended, or when oil and grease ignite.

Common causes include:

Forgetting food on the stove
Grease igniting when overheated
Distractions while cooking (phones, TV, kids)

Knowing these triggers helps you stay alert. For more about avoiding kitchen-related hazards, see our detailed guide on preventing fire hazards in the kitchen.

How to Prevent Cooking Fires

fire extinguisher putting out grease fire

Preventing kitchen fires is simpler than you might think. Follow these essential safety practices:

Never leave cooking unattended, especially frying or grilling.
Keep flammable items away from stovetops.
Have a lid or baking soda nearby to quickly extinguish grease fires—never use water.

At Utah Flood Cleanup, we've seen firsthand how prevention can significantly reduce risks and damages, helping countless Utah families safeguard their homes. You can also learn about choosing the correct equipment in our blog about selecting the right fire extinguisher for your home.

Other Common House Fire Causes

space heater placed too close to curtains

Besides cooking, several other factors often cause house fires:

Heating Equipment: Space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces
Electrical Issues: Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits
Smoking: Improper disposal of cigarettes or cigars

Regular maintenance, inspections, and vigilance greatly reduce these risks. For more detailed information, visit our comprehensive article on 5 surprising things that can cause a house fire.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fires?

Yes, most homeowners insurance policies cover fire damage, including:

Repairing structural damage
Replacing personal belongings
Additional living expenses during home repairs

However, insurance typically doesn’t cover negligence. Always document possessions and check your coverage annually. Read more about fire insurance coverage and fire damage cleanup.

insurance agent inspecting fire damage in home

What to Do if a Fire Occurs

Despite your best efforts, fires can still happen. Here’s your immediate action checklist:

Evacuate immediately and safely.
Call 911 from a safe location.
Never go back inside once you exit.
Notify your insurance company promptly.

Ready to protect your home even further? .

FAQs About House Fires

What is the best way to put out a kitchen fire?

For grease fires, carefully cover the pan with a metal lid or use baking soda to smother the flames. Never use water.

How often should smoke detectors be tested?

Test smoke detectors monthly and replace batteries twice a year.

Can electrical fires be prevented?

Yes, regular inspections by a licensed electrician and avoiding overloaded outlets significantly reduce the risk.

What should you never do during a fire?

Never try to extinguish a large fire yourself—evacuate immediately and call emergency services.

Keep Your Home and Family Safe

Cooking fires are the most common yet easily preventable cause of home fires. By understanding the primary causes, practicing simple safety tips, and ensuring your insurance is adequate, you can significantly lower your risk. Stay vigilant, stay safe, and protect what matters most.

If you’d like to learn more or need professional fire damage assistance, feel free to contact our team at Utah Flood Cleanup anytime.

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Utah Flood Cleanup

We are disaster cleanup experts located in the state of Utah. We perform cleanup for water damage, floods, mold, fire & more. Give us a call at 801-416-2666 if you're in need of assistance.

Latest posts by Utah Flood Cleanup (see all)

What's the #1 Cause of House Fires? - May 8, 2025
What Should You Throw Away After a Flood? Complete Guide for Utah Homeowners - March 20, 2025
Is It Safe to Stay in a House After a Fire? Expert Safety Guide for Utah Homeowners - February 17, 2025

I am extremely pleased with the work and help from Flood Co with the sewer backup into the house. I highly recommend them. Mike, the operations manager, worked with the insurance company, took pictures, and got everything submitted, setup, and scheduled. Memo and Chris F. and crew first came out and did the mitigation, took pictures, and cleanup. They did an outstanding job. There were 2 different Chris's that worked on this project. Chris E. and Josh did the Renovation and did an outstanding and professional job. They worked really hard and I am so thankful for their quality of work. I was really down when with all the problems and mess, but the people from Utah Flood Co made a hard situation so much better. I can honestly say I am so happy with the job they did for us. Thank you, so much!

Gail Fitches

22:39 10 Mar 25

Mike was very knowledgeable and explained the process very well. Memo and Manny were very professional and took the time to explain the set up, removal of the affected area and gave instructions on follow that is needed. Great experience so far.Update: they had to make a return trip as not everything was dry enough to seal. Chris and Manny came up and finished the job quickly and gave me additional instructions about when to put the Sheetrock back on. Extremely professional and competent. Good communication throughout. Thanks for the great help.

John Zachary

19:39 27 Nov 24

I had the chance to meet and work with Chris today. He was exceptional. He stopped to take the time to talk through all my concerns. And even gave me the pep talk I needed that everything was going to be okay, even with my insurance not being quick to communicate. Couldn't be happier with the quality of Utah Flood Company's team. They are all top notch!

Cindy Yearley

22:13 18 Jul 24

Memo, Isaac, and Manny are amazing. They came out assessed the damage and started the tear out immediately. They are great at communicating what's steps are needed and how we need to proceed on our end.

Barbara Cox

04:38 28 Jun 24

Manni and Memo came out to our home for a flood we had in the basement. They were incredible gentleman who helped us with everything and walked us through DIY steps for us to do in order to save money. I will absolutely recommend this company to anyone!

Lee Lasrich

22:48 30 Apr 24

I was corrected and they are still in business. Talked to Daryl and he’s a great guy. Would definitely send work his way if I ever need it.

Robert Mixon

22:36 07 Mar 23

We had a leak in our roof while we were out of town. Daryl was so helpful and responded quickly so we were able to get our wood floor dried out to avoid damage to the floor. He was very professional and knew exactly what needed to be done.

Gary Hatch

22:52 07 Jun 22

I contact Daryl about wanting to have a mold inspection done in my crawl space. He was incredibly nice and immediately booked at time with me. When he arrived at the house, he carefully did his work, showed me the results of the tests. Thankfully there was no mold. But, even better, he took the time to show me and explain a few areas of concern for the future. Really incredible service. I wish everyone was so professional. I couldn't recommend someone more highly. 5 star!

rhayesparton

23:22 13 May 22

Daryl with Utah Flood Clean Up, came to inspect a previous roof leak that had left some moisture in our walls. He was very honest about his findings and detailed with the information for removing it! I am a General Contractor and I won’t use anyone else!

Garry Naccarato

14:11 23 Apr 22

My experience with this company is that they are honest and great to work with. Very refreshing to have someone you can trust.

Trevor Heaton

19:44 06 May 20

Called for some detailed information about mold/removal. Daryl was busy, but called back just a few minutes later and spent time answering ALL my questions. He was very knowledgable and patient. Thank you Daryl.

D G

18:00 17 Apr 20

Sadly, I've had to use Utah Flood Cleanup 4 times in the last year! I really appreciate how quickly they responded to each casualty. They were there right away! Daryl, the owner, gave me a price that was half of the other quote I got, and his men are professionals... not kids who don't have a clue. Plus, he included more "fixes" in his quote for less money. He is very knowledgeable and I felt very confident in his recommendations. He also worked directly with our insurance adjuster so that I didn't have to! I highly recommend this company.

Ashton Carrington

16:09 16 Apr 20

I called Utah Flood Cleanup when I had a leak in the kitchen that drained down into the basement. Daryl came out shortly after speaking to me on the phone! He was friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. He quickly and thoroughly assessed the situation, explaining everything he did as he went along. I was very impressed with how thorough he was in his examination of the damage. He let me know up front what I was looking at and I felt he was very honest and reasonable. I've had other companies out who seem to know very little and just want to start ripping everything out at once! Daryl explained and showed me why he recommended what he did and I felt very comfortable and confident in his recommendations. I highly recommend this company!! You won't be sorry.

Jo Carrington

03:09 08 Jun 19

Call these guys for the best knowledge and serve for water damage or mold.

Daryl Olsen

18:58 26 Jan 19

We wanted our house checked for mold due to a moderately high mold count in the air sample. They were very thorough and found only one small spot in the bathroom that needed attention. They advised on our options for dealing with it and did not propose expensive and unnecessary repairs.

Heather Steed

02:09 16 Aug 18

We absolutely love Utah Flood Cleanup, they come in and take all the problems over. The headache of insurance companies, they pack your items up, the clean up and restoration, and they even move all the items back in. All of there staff are professional and very knowledgeable, they layout a reasonable budget and fight against the insurance to get your house to the best finished state. All of there sub contractors are fast and experts in their fields, this company only uses professional tradesman. We really appreciate all that the Utah Flood Cleanup guys have done for us.

Kit Cc

03:27 15 Aug 16

Josh and Sam came to inspect the mold we found. They were on time, considerate and knowledgeable about our situation. They presented our options and recommendations to treat the issue. I will recommend Utah Disaster to my friends and family.

Connie Pinnell

18:16 08 Jun 16

Jaxon came and assessed water damage in our basement. They were very helpful and went out of their way to make the experience as painless as possible. Very responsive when questions came up and they were never pushy, which I appreciate.

Aimee Hollingsworth

19:48 01 Jun 16

Jaxon was great, he answered his phone at 6:30 am and was out in an hour and got my basement cleaned up

neil norton

14:55 31 May 16

Within the last year we had a major flood in the basement, and just today had another water issue that flooded a smaller portion of the basement. I called The Flood Company immediately and they were on-site within an hour or so. I'm extremely pleased with The Flood Co. The professionalism and expertise demonstrate by Jackson and Sam put my mind at ease, knowing we would be taken care of well. I would recommend The Flood Company to anyone in need of these services. They get a five star rating from us!

William Hansen

03:03 26 May 16

My main water line broke and our crawl space was flooding. I called my insurance company and they recommended these guys. Sam and Jesus showed up and got things taken care of. They stopped the water line and put fans to dry the area. The insurance process was super smooth I'm glad I called them!

Karla Maquin

04:11 06 May 16

Utah Flood Cleanup is amazing! Josh and Jesus stopped by after their shift and were kind enough to give us a free inspection of our flood problem. Our little 4 year old thought he'd make a sauna in the bathroom. He flipped the shower on and walked away. We never heard the water running and came upstairs to put my daughter to bed. Sure enough, the shower was pointed into the bathroom and flooded the whole thing. Josh and Jesus came out got the whole place inspected, pulled out themal meters and moisture meters and confirmed there was water damage (and old mold growth from previous spills). They grabbed their tools and began demolishing the floor themselves, right then and there so we could get fans on it to prevent future mold growth. I hope I never have another flood but if I do, I'm definitely calling them again! They're the best!!~~~

Jessica Means

01:49 22 Apr 16

These guys are great to work with and really go above and beyond to serve their customers.

Zack Adams

17:36 16 Dec 15

I called in the morning and they came that afternoon. Chris and Jesus came. They were professional, polite, knowledgeable and they quickly got the place all cleaned up and prepped for the repair. Then they recommended some handymen to do the repair. I hired Hank and he was great too. Did the whole job in one day.

Alan Green

20:37 16 Oct 15

You showed up to our house based upon little information. When you got here you went right to work looking to see what was going on. With being a family of 7, it can be a scramble being out of a bathroom and no shower. You were excellent and so kind on letting us know what our options are and what you can do to resolve the problem in our basement bathroom. With being in our new home, not even making a second mortgage payment yet, it is hard to discover there is mold and a water leak through out the basement bathroom and laundry room. I really appreciate the time you took out of your day to come to our house. My brother in law referred us to you, and it was the best referral, so thank you very much.

Ashley Metz

22:39 30 Sep 15

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Arrive Quickly to Any Size Disaster

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Disaster Cleanup Frequently Asked Questions

What types of damage do you handle?

At Utah Food Cleanup, we offer water damage cleanup, fire and smoke damage restoration, mold removal, and more to the greater Ogden and SLC area.

Are you licensed and certified?

Yes, we are licensed in the state of Utah and we hold many certifications, including:

IICRC Certified (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)

Do you guarantee your work?

Yes, Utah Food Cleanup guarantees all of our work! We offer you a five-year workmanship guarantee on everything we do.

What are the advantages of hiring restoration services vs a general contractor?

There are a number of advantages to hiring restoration services rather than a general contractor.

General contractors basically work at rebuilding; they know how to build your home or office, but restoration professionals can envision what your home or office looked like before the disaster. They know exactly how to bring it back to what it looked like before, without scrapping the entire thing and starting over.

Emergency restoration services professionals are ‘rebuilders’ rather than builders. They will work to recover as much of your damaged space as possible, helping you save time and money. These professionals also know how to work with insurance companies and can help you with your claim.

What areas do you service?

We service Ogden, Utah and the surrounding areas. Everywhere from Bountiful to Park City, to Tooele and West Jordan. Contact us today to see if we service your area.

What type of equipment does Utah Flood Cleanup use?

At we use Utah Food Cleanup, our Ogden Utah damage restoration company uses a variety of equipment. We use pumps, vacuums, and shampooers to remove water, and of course, dryers to help dry it all out. We also use things like ozone machines to remove the smell of smoke from your property and dehumidifiers to pull moisture from the air. We utilize a wide variety of restoration equipment during the process.

What can I do to help?

In case of a water disaster, you need to make sure you leave the equipment running at all times. You should notify us right away if it shuts off for any reason. For mold and mildew, make sure to open all of your windows, keep your pets and children away from the mold, and most importantly, don’t try to clean it yourself. When it comes to fire and smoke damage, contact us right away for help, whether you need fire damage cleanup for commercial or residential properties. If you have a flooded basement, turn off your utilities, and then call us!

The floodwaters are rising, and I need help RIGHT NOW. Can you come right away?

Yes, we can! Utah Flood cleanup is available 24/7. Call us right away.

Can you bill my insurance company directly?

Our Utah disaster cleanup company will work directly with your insurance company If you have a flood damage insurance claim or a water damage insurance claim, contact us first. We can help you get the most from your insurance company who will do everything they can to not pay your claim. Our damage restoration services will have your property looking like new in no time, and we will take care of water related insurance hassles.

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