Thanksgiving Fire Safety Tips

November 20, 2019 | Blog,Personal Injury

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we know that most people are planning a big family meal. However, as people begin to prep the big day, fire safety is rarely at the top of everyone’s list of things to think about. According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving tops the list of home cooking fire incidents. There are several steps you can take to keep your family and home safe this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Fire Facts

The National Fire Protection Association says that:

• Thanksgiving is the peak holiday for home cooking fires, beating out Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving.
• During the latest reporting year, there were 1,600 home cooking fires reported on Thanksgiving.
• The leading factor for these fires was unattended cooking.
• Cooking equipment was involved in nearly half of all reported home fires and home fire burn injuries.

8 Thanksgiving Fire Safety Tips

You need to plan ahead. Now is the time to test the batteries in your smoke alarms. Press the button on each unit to make sure they work. Keep your oven and stove top clean and free from dust and grease.

As you begin to cook on Thanksgiving or the day before, you need to follow these steps:

1. Someone needs to stay in the kitchen when food is in the oven or on the stove. Keep an eye on the food at all times.
2. Never leave your home when you are cooking the Turkey. Even if you are going outside to play some ball or run around with the kids, make sure an adult is in the home.
3. Keep kids away from hot food and liquids. Even steam from hot vegetables, gravy, and coffee could cause serious burns.
4. Always keep knives out of the reach of children.
5. Keep all cords from dangling off of the counters and away from the sink.
6. Make sure all matches and lighters are kept away from children.
7. Make sure that children are not left alone with lit candles.
8. Keep all obstacles off of the floor. They can become tripping hazards for everyone in the home.

9 Safety Tips When Deep Frying a Turkey

Many people have switched from a traditional oven made turkey to a deep-fried turkey for Thanksgiving. While they are delicious, prepping a fried turkey for dinner creates an additional hazard. If you are frying a turkey, you must:

1. Never leave the fryer unattended
2. Keep children and pets away from the fryer
3. Wear protective equipment at all times
4. Defrost the turkey completely before frying
5. Keep a grease-rated fire extinguisher nearby
6. Place the fryer on a level surface before heating the oil
7. Do not overfill the fryer
8. Keep outdoor fryers away from combustible structures, including dried brush, trees, and decks
9. If the oil is smoking, then it off. That means the fryer is too hot

Hot grease not only starts fires, but it causes serious burns. Keep this in mind when deciding what method you want to use to make your turkey this year.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a fun and relaxing time to gather with friends and family. By following our fire safety tips, you can ensure that you do not become one of the annual fire statistics we mentioned here.