FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at
Thanksgiving. With all the activity that will be going on, safety in the
kitchen is paramount.
According to the National Fire Protection Association,
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28, 2013) was the leading date for home cooking fires
with 1,550, which is 230 percent above the average number of fires per day.
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires,
according to the NFPA, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Unattended
cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire
deaths. Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and
associated civilian injuries and was the third leading cause of home fire
deaths.
When it comes to risk management, many people forget just
how dangerous cooking can be, especially when additional “cooks” and adult
beverages are thrown into the mix.
Typically, home fires on Thanksgiving will nearly double the
rate of any other day. We all want to show off our culinary abilities, but all
too often disregard common sense and normal safety precautions. Additionally,
your house is usually full of family and friends, which makes the potential of
injury that much greater.
The following are some tips that will help better protect
you and our family this Thanksgiving:
• Check your smoke alarm’s batteries the day before to make
sure they are functional.
• Check your fire extinguisher. Make sure you know where it
is and that it’s functional. Also, make sure you have an appropriate extinguisher
for the type of cooking you’ll be doing. Not all extinguishers are registered
for grease fires and will do little to stop them.
• Cook as much as possible before Thanksgiving Day. That
way, you won’t be overloading your oven. Many fires are the result of trying to
cram too many things into one oven.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop
so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot
and kids should stay 3 feet away.
• 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.
In addition, if you choose to use a turkey fryer, here are
some safety tips:
• Deep-frying your turkey is one of the most hazardous
things you can attempt to cook. Make sure you follow all of the instructions on
your fryer or consider an alternate method of cooking.
• Only use turkey fryers outdoors; away from any building or
material that can catch fire; in full view.
• Make sure there is at least two feet of space between the
liquid propane tank and the fryer burner.
• Never place the fryer on wooden decks or under a garage,
carport, or breezeway.
• Never leave fryer unattended; monitor temperature closely.
• If any smoke at all comes from the heating pot of oil,
turn the burner off immediately – this means the oil is too hot.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and dried before
adding to the oil; water and ice crystals can cause the oil to splatter or
spill over.
Thanksgiving, like all holidays, is often an excuse to pour
a little more wine or have a couple more beers or mixed drinks. Don’t overdo it
and don’t drink and drive. If a family member or guest has too many drinks,
offer to call them a cab or provide someplace to sleep.
During this Thanksgiving Day, remember to give thanks and
enjoy spending time with family and friends, while indulging in some delicious
food. For additional safety tips, visit http://www.nfpa.org.