Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking fires,
with three times as many fires occurring on that day. Fire officials say it is
easy to get distracted or lose track of what’s going on in the kitchen when busy
or inexperienced cooks are trying to prepare several dishes while entertaining
family and friends.
The Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office offers these tips
for a safer Thanksgiving Day:
- Always
stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. If you have
to leave the kitchen for even a short time, turn off the stove.
- Keep
anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food
packaging, towels or curtains away from the stovetop.
- Turn pot
handles toward the center of the stove.
- Keep the
number of people in your kitchen to a minimum, especially children.
Crowded kitchens cause confusions and often result in burns.
In the event of a
stovetop fire, carefully slide a cookie sheet or lid over the pan and turn off
the stove. Never attempt to carry a hot pan to the sink.
If you have a fire
in the oven, close the oven door and turn off the heat. Once the oxygen is
depleted, the fire will go out. Wait until the oven is completely cooled before
opening the door again. This applies to microwave ovens, too.