Thanksgiving: CELEBRATE SAFELY WITH A RECIPE FOR SAFETY

11/10/2016 (Permalink)

Cooking fires are most common during the holiday season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking fires, with
three times the average number.

Each November, families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving by preparing a delicious feast, but if you don’t practice safe cooking habits, your holiday could become hazardous very quickly. According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. It’s important to be alert to prevent cooking fires.

• Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling or broiling food.

• If you are simmering, baking or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

• Keep anything that can catch fire—oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains—away from the stovetop.

If you have a cooking fire, consider the following safety protocols to help keep you and your family safe.

• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.

• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.

• For an oven fire turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

• If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.

• Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

Five Dangers of Deep Frying a Turkey

• Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area.

• An overfilled cooking pot will cause cooking oil to spill when the turkey is put in, and a partially frozen turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when put in the pot.

• Even a small amount of cooking oil spilling on a hot burner can cause a large fire.

• Without thermostat controls, deep fryers can overheat oil to the point of starting a fire.

• The sides of the cooking pot, lid and pot handles can get dangerously hot.

SERVPRO® of Wayne wishes you a safe and happy holiday season.