Thanksgiving is about good food, laughter, and spending time with family and friends. Unfortunately, the number of fires that occur on Thanksgiving Day is more than double the number of fires on an average day, with the leading cause being cooking equipment. Whether you are cooking on your stove or with a fryer we would like you to make cooking safety a priority in your home this year. Below are a few tips we recommend to stay safe this Thanksgiving:
Stove Top Safety Tips:
- Clean the stovetop and oven of any built-up grease.
- Turn pot handles on the stovetop towards the center of the stove.
- Keep all wrappers, dish towels and other flammable materials away from stoves and ovens.
- Pay attention to which burner is turned on and don’t forget to turn it off when you are done.
- When you are simmering, baking or roasting food, be sure to check it regularly.
Turkey Fryer Safety Tips:
- Do not use a fryer near combustible surfaces.
- Fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot oil, be sure stand is sturdy and in a safe place.
- Turkey fryers should only be used outdoors and at a safe distance from a building or any other material that can ignite.
- Put the proper amount of oil in the fryer. If the fryer is overfilled, the oil may spill when the turkey is placed in the fryer allowing oil to come into contact with the burner/flames causing the entire unit to become engulfed in fire.
Additional Safety Tips:
- Don’t store things that can burn in an oven, microwave, or toaster oven.
- Check the batteries in smoke alarms and test them to make sure they are working properly.
- Ensure an all-purpose fire extinguisher is nearby. Do not use water to extinguish grease fires.
We hope you and your families have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!