For a variety of reasons, the chance of starting a fire on Thanksgiving Day is three times more likely than on any other day of the year. However, this is easily preventable. Below are some common hazards to help you avoid avoid spoiling your festivities with an unwanted fire.
If you are planning a feast for your holiday guests this Thanksgiving Day, be cautious of the possible risks. According to the U.S Fire Administration, over half of home fires in residential buildings are due to cooking related accidents. The number one cause is an unattended kitchen. However, there are other concerns such as turkey-fryer backfires and more. Here are a few tips to keep you, your loved ones, and your Thanksgiving Day safe from a holiday season consumed by fire damage restoration:
- Avoid leaving cooking unattended as this is the #1 cause of house fires. If you need to leave the room, put someone else on cooking duty or turn off all appliances before leaving the room.
- Limit the number of distractions in the room while preparing your food. This includes television, Face Time, chores and other activities.
- If a fire does occur as a result of grease, do NOT use water to put it out. Rather, turn off the heat source and smother the fire with a metal lid or baking soda.
- If an oven fire were to occur, keep the oven door closed and turn off the oven.
- In addition to keeping the distractions to a minimum, try to keep the number of individuals in the kitchen minimized. This is especially important if kids are involved. Crowded kitchens can lead to accidents, injuries and fire damage resulting from bumps and spills.
- Alcohol and/or fatigue can also be dangerous if you are the designated cooker required to multitask. I might be necessary to recruit additional help or ask someone to step in so you can get a few breaks.
- It is also important to keep inflammable items away from the heat—like dish towels, oven mitts, paper products, etc.
- Finally, it is critical to have a fire extinguisher for emergencies. Check in advance to make sure you know where it is located and that it is in good working condition.
Turkey Frying Safety Tips:
If your party decides to deep fry the turkey, remember these key steps to stay safe and avoid a turkey catastrophe:
- Placement of fryer: It is essential to make sure your fryer has sufficient space (at least 10 feet) away from your home, fence and other structures. It should also be placed on a non-combustible surface, away from any trees, and NOT on top of lawn or dirt.
- Don’t overfill the fryer: Read all the directions thoroughly before attempting to use your fryer. In order to prevent serious burn hazards and other fire risks, do not exceed the fill line on the fryer, even if you think you may need more oil. The turkey takes up a significant amount of space, which is easy to misjudge and can cause the oil to over-flow.
- Properly thaw your turkey: Attempting to immediately deep fry a frozen turkey WILL CAUSE A FIRE. There a variety of ways to thaw a turkey, such as using your refrigerator and soaking in a basin of cold water. The refrigerator method takes a considerably longer. You should allow 6 hours to thaw per pound. For example, it would take 3 days to thaw a 10-12-pound turkey (12 x 6 = 72 hours). If you chose to use the cold-water method, give the turkey 30 minutes per pound to thaw.
We hope these tips help you to have a Happy and SAFE Thanksgiving Day complete with all the trimmings! OneRestore is a Water and Fire Restoration Company in Central Florida. We are the next call after the fire is out and will get you back to normal as quickly as possible.
The post Thanksgiving Has More House Fires than Any Other Day of the Year! appeared first on OneRestore.
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