Westchester Has Some Of The Most Careless Cooks In The Country: Study

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — A new study finds that while New Yorkers rank among the most careless cooks in the country, Westchester residents are especially perilous when they don their aprons.

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires, and they're more likely to happen in Westchester County, according to a study by homeowner insurance resource ClaimGuide.

According to the study, Westchester County ranks fourth in the nation for counties with the most "careless cooks." Overall, New York ranks second in the nation among states.

Westchester experiences 2,110.4 cooking-related house fires per year, equating to 213.1 fires per 100,000 residents, according to the findings. The residential cooking fires per year accounts for 76 percent of all home fires.

In New York state, the percent of residential fires caused by cooking is slightly lower at 70.8 percent. The average home cooking fires per year is 30,703 or 156 fires per 100,000 New Yorkers.

States in the Northeast dominate the list, with Massachusetts ranking No. 1 followed by New York, Delaware, and New Jersey. Nationwide, an average of 185,040 residential cooking-related fires occur each year, resulting in an estimated $477 million in property loss, according to the study's authors.

Nationwide, each year, cooking fires claim an average of 153 lives, cause 3,225 injuries, and account for nearly half, 48 percent, of all residential fires.

The study analyzed fire incidents for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. via the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In ClaimGuide's nationwide survey, 72 percent admitted to leaving the stove unattended. 50 percent said they’ve accidentally left the stovetop on after cooking and more than 38 percent don’t know how to properly extinguish a grease fire

You can find the full study here.