How to Prevent a Cooking Fire this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and there are definitely a lot of opinions about how it should be celebrated this year. With cases of Coronavirus once again on the rise, we will all be taking some extra precautions on turkey day (check out what the CDC guidelines are for celebrating Thanksgiving). Illness isn’t the only thing we need to be careful about on Thanksgiving, however. Lots of food preparation requiring electricity and gas means that we also need to be aware of fire safety as well.

The National Fire Protection Association tell us,”Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires….” In 2018, over 1,500 fires were responded to by United States fire departments on Thanksgiving day. Even if you are having a much smaller Thanksgiving this year, it is still important to follow safety precautions while preparing food in your kitchen.

Here are the Top 10 safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association:

Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.
Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.
Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
Keep knives out of the reach of children.
Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.