According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 80 percent of fire deaths occur in homes.   Fire safety experts say that by teaching children a few essential guidelines, parents can help protect the whole family.  Practice a family fire drill, install smoke detectors on every floor and show your children how to dial 911.  And since most fires start in the kitchen, teach your children how to use baking soda as a fire extinguisher.  Jim Green is with the American Red Cross:  

"In your kitchen, if it�s a grease fire, you don�t want to just start throwing water on it, all it�s going to do is spatter it and possibly spread it. And a lot of fire extinguishers aren�t rated for grease fires. But there are a lot of things you can do to stop the fire."

For initial handling of small kitchen or electrical fires, quickly turn off the gas or electricity while standing back and tossing handfuls of the baking soda at the base of the flames.  Keep a box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda handy in the kitchen and designate it as the family�s �Fire Safety Soda.�

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