What should you do if your smoke detector goes off due to cooking smoke?

When a smoke detector goes off due to cooking smoke, the appropriate course of action is to ventilate the area while keeping the smoke detector enabled. This approach ensures that you address the immediate discomfort and safety concern caused by the smoke, while still allowing the smoke detector to function effectively. Smoke detectors serve an essential role in alerting occupants to actual fire incidents, and disabling them can pose a significant risk if a real emergency arises shortly after.

By ventilating the area, you help clear out the smoke and improve air quality, while maintaining the smoke detector's ability to detect any hazardous situations that may occur. Ignoring the alarm or calling the fire department without taking the preliminary step of ventilating could lead to unnecessary panic or misallocation of emergency resources. Overall, maintaining a functional smoke detection system is crucial for the ongoing safety of everyone in the environment.