Thanksgiving Day Fire Safety Tips

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, holiday preparations have surely begun. You may be thinking about the menu, table arrangements, and spending time with your loved ones.  What you’re probably not thinking about is fire safety! However, an increased risk of fire is a reality of Thanksgiving.  It is actually the leading day for home cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). NFPA’s latest cooking estimates show that in 2018, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,630 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving, the peak day for such fires.

Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 4 wants to help you add a little safety prep to your planning.  Here are a few safety tips to remember this holiday season:

• Remain in the kitchen while food is on the stovetop.
• Keep flammable items such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels and curtains away from the cooking area.
• If you are deep-frying a turkey, do it outside.
• Stay alert when cooking. If you are tired or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove.
• If you’re cooking a turkey using a disposable aluminum pan, consider doubling up and using two pans to avoid a puncture, as dripping turkey juices can cause an oven fire.
• Never put water on a grease fire. Smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
• Test smoke alarms before Thanksgiving to make sure they are working.
• Store fire extinguishers in plain sight and near an exit – not under the sink.