City of Cambridge, MA

02/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/20/2026 09:24

Scald and Burn Injury Prevention

Making hot soup on the these cold February days or nights?
Sounds like a good idea! But always use caution to prevent burn & scald injuries, especially to the kids. Keep a 3' kid safety zone.
Pay attention when cooking. Prevent burn injuries & prevent a burned meal.
Never get too lackadaisical or careless when using hot liquids.

  • Be especially careful when using cooking oils or boiling water on the stove
  • Keep a pan cover or baking sheet close by when cooking. It the fire flares up, turn off the heat source and slide the cover or baking sheet over the pan to snuff out the flame
  • Always stay alert when handling hot liquids such as soup, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. Avoid that accidental spill and scald injury
  • Keep hot liquids out of reach of the kids and pets at all times
  • Maintain that "No-Kid Zone" and "No-Pet Zone" around the stove and oven
  • Ensure that our older folks are kept safe when near the stove or using flammable liquids
  • Avoid wearing loose clothing or loose sleeves while working around the stove
  • Keep pot handles on the stove turned inward
  • Use pot-holders to move or pick up a hot pan or other hot item. Avoid burned fingers or hands
  • Ensure that the household hot water temperature is set at a safe level!

Always keep the kitchen safe! As we know, kids can move very quickly and get into trouble in seconds! Keep those curious pets away from flammable liquids, the stove and oven too,

For a burn injury, cool the burn area with cool water. For a serious burn, call 911 right away. Firefighter Medics & EMTs will quickly respond.

As always, for any emergency, call 911 from a safe area to get help on the way.

For more info, go to MA Department of Fire Services Burn Prevention

City of Cambridge, MA published this content on February 20, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 20, 2026 at 15:25 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]