Holiday Cooking and Fire Safety
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Posted: Monday, November 18, 2013 11:06 AM
Cold weather-and holidays--bring increased risk of fire. Taking just a little time for fire prevention during the holidays can go a long ways towards saving your family's lives! In fact, Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. That makes safety in the kitchen very important, especially when children are at home.
Fire Safety Tips:
- Children and older adults face a higher risk of death from cooking fires than anyone else.
- Make sure children are kept at least 3 feet away from stoves and any other equipment that can become hot and they should be kept away from hot food and liquids. Children can be easily and seriously burned if they're not supervised.
- When baking, simmering, roasting, or boiling food, make sure to check on it regularly. Always stay at home while cooking and use a timer for a reminder.
- Children and older adults face a higher risk of death from cooking fires than anyone else.
- Make sure children are kept at least 3 feet away from stoves and any other equipment that can become hot and they should be kept away from hot food and liquids. Children can be easily and seriously burned if they're not supervised.
- When baking, simmering, roasting, or boiling food, make sure to check on it regularly. Always stay at home while cooking and use a timer for a reminder.
Cooking with Deep Fryers
- NFPA discourages the use of outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers that immerse the turkey in hot oil.
- If you choose to use a deep fryer, you should be used very carefully according to manufacturer's directions.
- Keep in mind you're heating oil to high temps over an open flame, and splashed oil can cause extremely serious burns.
Have a fire escape plan!
- Every family member should know at least two ways out of each room.
- Know how to get out of the house whenever the smoke alarm sounds.
- Decide ahead of time on where to meet once everyone is out.
- NEVER call 911 from a burning house unless you are trapped inside.
- Working smoke alarms save lives!
- Having working smoke alarms in your home can give you advance warning if there's a fire.
- If your alarm sounds, take it seriously. You only have a few minutes to escape a house fire.
- If you haven't changed the batteries in your smoke & carbon monoxide alarms yet this year,now is a good time.
REMEMBER: Taking just a little time for fire prevention during the holidays can go a long ways towards saving your family's lives!
For more fire safety information, check out these websites:
www.nfpa.org www.homesafetycouncil.org www.usfa.dhs.gov
See attached memo below