Area fire department officials are reminding residents to take extra precautions when preparing their Thanksgiving meals this year, as the holiday is the peak time for home cooking fires.
In 2018 alone, firefighters across the country battled an estimated 1,630 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving. Statistics show that more than three times as many of those fires typically take place on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year, with unattended cooking being the leading contributing factor in those blazes and related deaths.
Below are some recommended cooking safety tips provided by the National Fire Protection Association:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.
- Make sure children stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- 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 candle.
- Keep the floor is clear so you don’t trip over children, toys, purses or bags.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.