Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. With everyone in the kitchen helping prepare dinner, fires and burns can happen in an instant.
Thanksgiving Safety Tips
• If you have a cooking fire, just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire. Call 911 or the local emergency number immediately after you leave.
• If you do try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and that you have access to an exit.
• Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Slide the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
• Create a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food and drinks are prepared or carried.
• Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop,
• Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
• Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
• Keep knives out of the reach of children.
• Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
• Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
• Never leave children alone in room with a lit a candle.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
*Tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)