New guide: This is how you avoid fires by cooking at home!

New guide: This is how you avoid fires by cooking at home!

Euralarm, Europa - On April 17, 2025, the EURALARM TASK Group Domestic Life Safety released a new guide that deals with fires caused by unattended cooking. This guide emphasizes that many house fires are created in the kitchen, especially due to boiling devices. According to the insurance company Zurich, cooking devices are the most common cause of fires in Europe. In the United States, cooking is even the main cause of apartment fires and also one of the most common causes of death in this context.

The guide offers a comprehensive analysis of stove security devices. Technical functions, their role in reducing fire risks and the legal framework within the EU are examined. A central concern of the document is the promotion of fire protection measures and their broad application among the Member States of the EU.

causes of fire hazards in the household

Apart from cooking, there are numerous other causes of house fires, such as carelessness, defective electrical appliances and slightly inflammatory materials. The Institute for Damage Research and Damage prevention recently found that tumble dryers are among the most common causes of fire. But cooling and freezing devices, dishwasher and washing machines can also be a danger.

technical and human causes

Technical defects contribute significantly to the risk of fire. Often it is defective electrical installations, overloaded socket strips or outdated electrical lines that can trigger fires. In many cases, old electrical systems no longer correspond to today's security standards. Defective heating systems and improperly operated fireplaces also represent considerable risks.

human failure, especially carelessness and negligence, is another frequent cause of the fire. Examples of this are unattended burning candles or a forgotten hob. Especially in the Advent and Christmas season, the risk of fire increases with forgotten light or improper handling with fireworks.

prevention and fire protection measures

In order to minimize the risks of fires, the installation of suitable smoke alarms is crucial. These devices can indicate dangers at an early stage and save lives. Easily flammable materials such as wood, paper and textiles should always be kept away from heat sources to reduce the risk of fire.

The new guide from EURALARM is an important step towards improved fire protection in Europe. Exemplies of the guidelines are available on the EUR alarm website in English. EUR alarm, which has represented the electronic fire and security systems industry since 1970, has over 5000 members and an industry proceeds of 67 billion euros.

For more information on this topic, you can read the reports on the following pages: Fireworld , techem , and Bauschen Institut .