Fires such as these are easy to put out if you have a fire extinguisher handy or simply have a cover ready to place over the pot containing the fire.
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Everett said, “The number one case of why cooking fires start is people being distracted while they’re cooking, so you throw more people in a home, these distractions are going to be more prevalent and with cell phones, people lose track of what they’re doing in the kitchen”.
There’s a few simple tips to help stay safe and keep smoke alarms from blaring, or worse, said Pickens County Rural Fire District Chief Billy Gibson.
Thanksgiving has more than twice as many home cooking fires as the average day, according to 2013 statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency.
Cooks should wear short or tight-fitting sleeves to prevent clothes from catching fire.
– Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
Always keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Also, use potholders and oven mitts when handling cookware.
As Thanksgiving draws closer, the Ocean City Fire Department reminds the community to be safe while cooking, especially when using turkey fryers.
· To avoid spillage of hot cooking oil, which can cause horrendous injury, care should be taken in positioning turkey fryers as they can be easily tipped over.
From 2010 through 2014, there were more than 3,900 cooking-related fires in OR causing seven deaths, 232 injuries, and more than $35 million in property loss.
Heat cooking oil slowly and never leave it unattended.
If the turkey isn’t completely thawed or is wet, that can cause excessive hot splatter when added to the oil.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using a turkey fryer.
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Also make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have batteries and are working properly.
