Sterling Heights tests stove-burner technology to stop kitchen fires, as one of three national pilot sites

STERLING HEIGHTS — The Sterling Heights Fire Department is trying to stop kitchen fires before they start, with stove burners designed so they never get hot enough to ignite common cooking materials.

The city on Thursday launched a cooking-fire prevention pilot at Fieldstone Apartments, installing SmartBurner technology on electric stoves and handing out safety materials to residents. Sterling Heights is one of only three pilot sites in the country for the 2026 Cooking Fire Prevention Toolkit Initiative, the city said.

The initiative is run by Vision 20/20, a project of the Institution of Fire Engineers’ U.S. branch, and paid for through FEMA’s Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program. The equipment, setup help and program materials come at no cost to the city or the apartment complex, according to the city.

SmartBurner uses temperature-limiting controls that keep electric coil burners below the heat needed to ignite common cooking materials. Cooking is a leading cause of home fires, the city noted, and the pilot is meant to cut the risk for apartment residents, their neighbors and the buildings they share.

“This pilot gives Sterling Heights an opportunity to take a proactive approach to preventing one of the most common causes of residential fires,” Fire Marshal Tracy Davis said.

State Fire Marshal Tom Hughes said the department is “showing what is possible when a department looks beyond traditional approaches.” Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski called the launch a fitting end to Fire Prevention Month.

The pilot ties into an ordinance Sterling Heights has already adopted for new construction. Under Section 605.5.3 of the city code, stoves in new multifamily buildings must be electric and equipped with SmartBurner or similar technology with a built-in thermostat. Gas and other fuel-fired stoves are not allowed in new multifamily dwellings under the ordinance.

The rule applies to new apartment buildings; the city’s release does not say it changes anything for existing homes or single-family houses.

SmartBurner is made by Pioneering Technology, whose executive vice president, Will Boake, said the company hopes the pilot becomes a model for fire departments nationwide. Fieldstone property manager Brittany Weston said the complex was proud to take part.

Thursday’s launch included a demonstration in one of Fieldstone’s units. The city did not say how many units will get the burners or how results will be measured.

Sources:
City of Sterling Heights, “Sterling Heights Ignites National Leadership in Cooking-Fire Prevention with SmartBurner® Pilot,” Oct. 29, 2026 (Vision 20/20, FEMA grant, three pilot sites, Fieldstone Apartments, Section 605.5.3, quotes), https://www.sterlingheights.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=2135
Photo: SteveStrummer, “Dexter Michigan Fire Dept 2015.JPG,” Wikimedia Commons, CC0, cropped, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dexter_Michigan_Fire_Dept_2015.JPG

Sterling Heights

Tags: Sterling Heights · Fire Safety · Sterling Heights Fire Department · FEMA · Apartments · Cooking Fires