From the turkey and mashed potatoes to indulging in our favorite pies and cakes, there’s a lot of food served during Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the holiday is the leading day of the year for home cooking fires.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more property damage and lives are claimed due to home cooking fires on Thanksgiving than any other day. Unattended cooking is the leading factor in home fires, where nearly half of all reported fires involved cooking equipment.
To help you have a safe Thanksgiving, we’ve put together some cooking safety tips:
1. Don’t leave cooking unattended. While it is easy to get distracted when hosting dinner, don’t walk away from the stove or kitchen appliance in use. Check food regularly and use a timer so you don’t forget the stove or oven is on.
2. Never fry a turkey indoors. Use turkey fryers outdoors, away from all structures in an open area. Never use the fryer near walls and fences, or under garages and porches. Monitor the temperature and keep it away from moisture that can cause serious burns from steam and hot oil.
3. Don’t wear loose clothing while cooking. Long sleeves are more likely to catch on fire or get caught on pot handles.
4. Keep kids and pets away from the cooking area. Maintain a kid-free and pet-free zone, and keep items with dangling electric cords away from the reach of children and animals.
5. Keep items that can catch fire away from the stove. Don’t leave items like potholders, towels, plastic bags and wooden utensils near the stovetop, oven or any appliance as they can generate heat and catch fire.
6. Make sure your smoke detectors are working. Test your smoke alarm by pushing the ‘test’ button, and replace batteries if the detector doesn’t beep.
7. Perform a safety check. After guests leave, make sure the stove and oven is off, and all smoking materials are extinguished.
Protect yourself against any accidents by having a homeowners or renters insurance policy. We know that life happens, so if a cooking disaster happens, don’t be afraid to give us a call. We’ll be here with a quick response to help you file a claim.
