The Michigan City Fire Department recently shared the statistic that Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home cooking fires. They shared tips to help those cooking this year stay safe:
- Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking, so you can keep an eye on the stove and oven; because multitasking can wait.
- Keep dish towels, long sleeves, oven mitts, and children all away from open flames.
- If there is a grease fire, do NOT toss water on it — but rather smother it with a lid.
Additional tips for staying safe around Thanksgiving this year include using timers as reminders when you have multiple dishes going at once, testing your smoke alarms beforehand, and keeping a fire extinguisher nearby while cooking.
If you are planning on using a turkey fryer, experts recommend they should only be used outdoors and on a flat, stable surface, far away from buildings or wooden decks. It is essential to make sure the turkey is completely thawed before frying, as any amount of ice can cause a dangerous flare-up in the fryer.
Michigan City Fire Department ended their post by encouraging citizens to make memories rather than emergencies this Thanksgiving.
