Highland County Firefighters Association offers Thanksgiving safety tips
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The Thanksgiving Holiday will soon be here. Many of us will be going to visit relatives and friends or having them over for the holiday dinner. Either way, hours will be spent in the kitchen cooking tasty meals. Did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries on Thanksgiving, in the United States. Statistics gathered by the United States Fire Administration show that from 2006 to 2008 there were an estimated 4,300 Thanksgiving Day fires annually in the United States and of those; 2,000 fires were residential resulting in 5 deaths, 25 injuries, and $21 million in property loss.
The Highland County Firefighters Association would like to share some Thanksgiving Day Safety Tips to try help you have a Safe Holiday.
Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. Obviously, you can’t stay in the kitchen the whole time the turkey’s in the oven, but if you’ve got burners or the broiler going, you should be there.
Keep the range free of clutter. Don’t overload a range top with too many pots and pans. Thanksgiving is a great time to seek out recipes that say “can be prepared ahead of time.” And turn the handles of pots and pans in, but away from hot burners.
Keep children and pets away from the cooking area. It’s best, if possible, to keep them out of the kitchen altogether while you’re cooking.
Use thick, dry, flame-resistant potholders when handling lids and pans. Not dish towels, not sweatshirt sleeves pulled down over your hand. When removing pot and pan lids, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam.
Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.
Never disconnect a smoke detector while cooking. Remember that smoke detectors save lives.
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully.
And in the event of a fire:
With small fires, prevent flame spread. For a small range-top fire, turn off the burner, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding a lid onto the pan. Leave the lid in place until the pot or pan is cooled. Never pour water on a grease fire. That can cause it to spread. And never carry the pan outside—you could spread flames throughout the house. Ifyou have an oven fire, immediately turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed. Always have someone call 9-1-1 as well.
Call for help. If you can’t immediately extinguish the fire yourself, leave your home, call 9-1-1
and wait in a safe place until emergency personnel arrive.
Safety first when deep frying your turkey. The following tips will help you when deep frying your turkey:
• Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn.
• Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot, hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. Ifpossible, wear
safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water causes oil to spill over, causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
• The National Turkey Federation recommends refrigerator thawing and to allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of bird thawed in the refrigerator.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Remember to use your best judgment when attempting to fight a fire. If the fire is manageable, use an all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call 9-1-1 for help.
• Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pots remains dangerously hot, hours after use.
Some Tips to think about to keep your kids safe:
• Create a 3 foot Kid Free Zone around the stove.
• Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
• Young children should be more than 3 feet from any place where there is hot food, drinks, pans, or trays.
• Hot items should be kept from the edge of counters and tables.
• Do not use a tablecloth or placemat if very young children are in the home.
• When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely and always with help from an adult.
Remember that if you have friends and family over, keep your guests safe with a working smoke detector on every level of the house, in every bedroom, and in the halls adjacent to the bedrooms. Test your smoke detectors and replace batteries at least twice a year. Overnight guests should be instructed on the fire escape plan and designated meeting place for your home. Keep these fire safety tips in mind to ensure you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday. Should you have any questions or concerns with these tips or any other life safety information please call your local fire department.
On behalf of the Highland County Firefighters Association Have a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving Holiday, and Thank You for your support to the association and to all the fire departments and life squads in our area.
The Thanksgiving Holiday will soon be here. Many of us will be going to visit relatives and friends or having them over for the holiday dinner. Either way, hours will be spent in the kitchen cooking tasty meals. Did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries on Thanksgiving, in the United States. Statistics gathered by the United States Fire Administration show that from 2006 to 2008 there were an estimated 4,300 Thanksgiving Day fires annually in the United States and of those; 2,000 fires were residential resulting in five deaths, 25 injuries, and $21 million in property loss.
The Highland County Firefighters Association would like to share some Thanksgiving Day Safety Tips to try help you have a Safe Holiday.
Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. Obviously, you can’t stay in the kitchen the whole time the turkey’s in the oven, but if you’ve got burners or the broiler going, you should be there.
Keep the range free of clutter. Don’t overload a range top with too many pots and pans. Thanksgiving is a great time to seek out recipes that say “can be prepared ahead of time.” And turn the handles of pots and pans in, but away from hot burners.
Keep children and pets away from the cooking area. It’s best, if possible, to keep them out of the kitchen altogether while you’re cooking.
Use thick, dry, flame-resistant potholders when handling lids and pans. Not dish towels, not sweatshirt sleeves pulled down over your hand. When removing pot and pan lids, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam.
Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.
Never disconnect a smoke detector while cooking. Remember that smoke detectors save lives.
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully.
And in the event of a fire:
With small fires, prevent flame spread. For a small range-top fire, turn off the burner, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding a lid onto the pan. Leave the lid in place until the pot or pan is cooled. Never pour water on a grease fire. That can cause it to spread. And never carry the pan outside—you could spread flames throughout the house. Ifyou have an oven fire, immediately turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed. Always have someone call 9-1-1 as well.
Call for help. If you can’t immediately extinguish the fire yourself, leave your home, call 9-1-1
and wait in a safe place until emergency personnel arrive.
Safety first when deep frying your turkey. The following tips will help you when deep frying your turkey:
• Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn.
• Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot, hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. Ifpossible, wear
safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water causes oil to spill over, causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
• The National Turkey Federation recommends refrigerator thawing and to allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of bird thawed in the refrigerator.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Remember to use your best judgment when attempting to fight a fire. If the fire is manageable, use an all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call 9-1-1 for help.
• Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pots remains dangerously hot, hours after use.
Some Tips to think about to keep your kids safe:
• Create a 3 foot Kid Free Zone around the stove.
• Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
• Young children should be more than 3 feet from any place where there is hot food, drinks, pans, or trays.
• Hot items should be kept from the edge of counters and tables.
• Do not use a tablecloth or placemat if very young children are in the home.
• When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely and always with help from an adult.
Remember that if you have friends and family over, keep your guests safe with a working smoke detector on every level of the house, in every bedroom, and in the halls adjacent to the bedrooms. Test your smoke detectors and replace batteries at least twice a year. Overnight guests should be instructed on the fire escape plan and designated meeting place for your home. Keep these fire safety tips in mind to ensure you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday. Should you have any questions or concerns with these tips or any other life safety information please call your local fire department.
On behalf of the Highland County Firefighters Association Have a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving Holiday, and Thank You for your support to the association and to all the fire departments and life squads in our area.
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