Episode 307: Why Cooking Fires Still Drive So Many Fire Calls with Kevin Callahan & Will Boake
Thu Jan 22 2026
Why do cooking fires keep happening even when people know better?
Hello Smart Firefighting Community!
Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy.
Recorded live at the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) 2025 Conference alongside the AFAC, WAFA, and Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience Conference in Perth, Australia.
Cooking fires remain one of the most common reasons firefighters respond to homes. In this episode, Kevin Callahan and Will Boake from Pioneering Technology Corp share what they have learned through years of working directly with fire services across North America and internationally.
They discuss why unattended cooking continues to create risk in residential environments, particularly in social housing, and how engineering based solutions can stop fires before they start. Drawing on real world experience, they explain how collaboration with fire services helped shift safety standards, reduce repeat incidents, and protect both residents and first responders.
The conversation also expands into wildfire challenges, community risk reduction, and the importance of mission based work that focuses on prevention instead of reaction. This is a grounded discussion about building safer communities by designing systems that support human behavior rather than relying on luck.
So take a listen to hear what they have to share.
Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is, or review our curated resources.
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Why do cooking fires keep happening even when people know better? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy. Recorded live at the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) 2025 Conference alongside the AFAC, WAFA, and Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience Conference in Perth, Australia. Cooking fires remain one of the most common reasons firefighters respond to homes. In this episode, Kevin Callahan and Will Boake from Pioneering Technology Corp share what they have learned through years of working directly with fire services across North America and internationally. They discuss why unattended cooking continues to create risk in residential environments, particularly in social housing, and how engineering based solutions can stop fires before they start. Drawing on real world experience, they explain how collaboration with fire services helped shift safety standards, reduce repeat incidents, and protect both residents and first responders. The conversation also expands into wildfire challenges, community risk reduction, and the importance of mission based work that focuses on prevention instead of reaction. This is a grounded discussion about building safer communities by designing systems that support human behavior rather than relying on luck. So take a listen to hear what they have to share. Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is, or review our curated resources. Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn