Enjoying Thanksgiving, Grease-Fire Free!

11/25/2019 (Permalink)

Information and Graph credits: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/reports/snapshot_thanksgiving.html

Practicing a Safe Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving is coming up very quickly! Thanksgiving is a day for families to get together and enjoy great food with one another! Although people without previous experience may not realize it, cooking for your families might be a little more dangerous than you probably expected!

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, "For each year from 2014 to 2016, an estimated 2,400 residential building fires were reported to fire departments in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day and caused an estimated 5 deaths, 25 injuries and $19 million in property loss." While you might be saying to yourself, 'that would never be me,' fires unfortunately do not care how nice your home is or how many family members you've invited for dinner. 

For traditional home-cooks, follow these tips below:

• ALWAYS remain in the kitchen while your turkey is grilling, broiling, or being fried.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, make sure to at least stay in the house while your turkey is being prepared. Try to stay in the kitchen if possible. 
• Keep any flammable items away from the stove top.
• Keep all areas utilized for cooking clean. 
• If a fire does start and you are unsure of what to do, simply exit the house and call your local fire-fighting team. 

For cooks looking to use a turkey frier, make sure to educate yourself and properly prepare before attempting to use this method. 

• Set up the frier more than 10 feet away from your house.
• Ensure that your frier is set on flat ground. Do NOT set your frier on any uneven surface.
• Use a thawed and dried turkey. Extra water will cause the oil to bubble wildly. 
• Have a fire extinguisher close by. 

Source: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/reports/snapshot_thanksgiving.html