With social distancing measures in place in Maryland during the coronavirus pandemic, firefighters are getting more calls to people’s homes for kitchen fires and more inquiries into exit plans for businesses that have changed their layouts, according to the state fire marshal.
“Now that we have people home, we knew this was going to happen. We have seen an uptick in fires,” said Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci.
The state’s stay-at-home order means that more people are cooking, which can be dangerous, he said. “We want people to watch what they cook, stay in the kitchen. Don’t walk away, try not to get distracted and if you do, turn the stove off.” He also said to be careful with more people at home plugging in portable electronics. He urges people to use wall sockets over power strips.