According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires on Thanksgiving Day.
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The National Fire Prevention Agency ranks Thanksgiving as the number one day of the year when fires break out at home and much of the time cooking is the culprit.
Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking – frying, broiling, or boiling – at high temperatures.
· Stay alert. Don’t cook if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.
“Unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in all cooking fires”, said Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak.
If a fire is burning in your oven, keep the door closed and call 9-1-1.
In addition, Marshal Flowers encourages Ohioans to have a working smoke alarm installed on every level of the home and inside and outside each bedroom or sleeping area.
If there is a small pan fire, use a large pan lid or baking sheet to smother the fire. His best advice is put a lid on it. “Basically use it (lid) as a shield and then slide it over the fire”.
The number of fires reported on Thanksgiving statewide is usually double the amount on the next closest day, which happens to be Christmas, he said. Home cooking fires also spike on other major USA holidays, including Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and Memorial Day weekend.
Place the propane tank at least two feet away from the fryer. Never use turkey fryers in a garage, on a wooden deck, or under roof eaves.
“You want to make sure you have a children free zone around your stove”.
But people who want to fry for themselves can follow a few tips to make it a safer meal. The Lee’s Summit Fire Department wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season! .
Heat cooking oil slowly and never leave it unattended.
Most important, Jones says make sure the turkey is completely thawed, or else it could explode.
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Turkey fryers can easily tip over and if overfilled with oil, they’ll spill over when you put the turkey in.
