Salt + Prepper Issue #9: It’s Fire 🔥

The disaster you’re most likely to face isn’t the one we’ve been prepping for.

It’s been a while. I’ve been busy—as one is after Labor Day—rocketing toward the end of the year. But then something happened that I needed to write to you about.

Last week, my husband was making salmon for dinner—fish on a heavily oiled baking sheet under the broiler. He got a little distracted, and when he opened the oven door, big flames shot out. Fortunately, he was able to close the door and, it seemed, contain it. But every time he opened it again, the flames returned. The house started to fill with smoke.

No alarm went off. We had no fire extinguisher. And my instinct, to douse it with water, would have been exactly the wrong move.

Well, that was a wake up call. We’ve been talking here about prepping for capital-D disasters but are you prepared for the more likely situation of a house fire?

Do you have…

• Working smoke detectors on every level and outside each sleeping area? Are the batteries good? (Or have you—like me—taken them out when it started chirping, and then forgotten to replace them?)

💡 Pro tip: Newer alarms can be interconnected—when one goes off, they all do. Great for multi-level homes. And while you’re at it, check your carbon monoxide detectors, too.

• Fire extinguishers In the kitchen, garage (if applicable), and not behind obstacles or right next to likely fire sources. Mount them about 4–5 feet high (especially if you have kids), in a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight. Look for one rated for grease fires—Class B or multipurpose ABC.

• A fire blanket is especially helpful for kitchen fires involving oil or grease. They also work for clothing fires (they wrap fully around a person acting as a more effective “stop, drop, and roll,”) and offer protection if you need to move through a fire-filled area.

• An escape ladder if on an upper level without a built in fire escape.

A fire-safe home has two exits from every room—which can include a window with an escape ladder. And yes, practicing your escape plan twice a year so it’s fresh, matters.

We were lucky, but luck isn’t a plan. Since then, we’ve made a few simple but essential changes to be better prepared, and I’m sharing this to light a fire under you to check your own setup. It’s easy to focus on the big, abstract emergencies and overlook the everyday ones that happen fast, right in your kitchen.

So this is your nudge:

• Get that fire extinguisher.

• Test those alarms.

• Clear your exits.

And while I recommend your local hardware store, Amazon if you must. Just do it.

Being ready isn’t about living in fear—it’s about protecting yourself, one smart step at a time.

Stay safe,

♥️ Maya