How to Prevent Cooking Fires and Ensure an Enjoyable Holiday or Thanksgiving Dinner
Posted: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
by Nenita Wells
When you plan your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner, do you incorporate fire safety into your holiday preparations? The quality time you spend with family and friends, counting your blessings, watching football and eating a traditional Thanksgiving dinner can be fully enjoyed by being cautiously alert in your kitchen to avoid home cooking fires.
Whilst you are planning the menu and the success of your turkey recipe and its trimmings, the fire departments nationwide are informing the public to increase public awareness regarding cooking fires.
Thanksgiving Day ranks as one of the most dangerous days for home cooking fires in the United States, three times higher the daily average according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Fire departments across the nation are providing cooking safety tips to avoid home cooking fires and recommend the following:
Cooking Safety Tips
- Use back burners on the stove and turn handles so that pots cannot be knocked or pulled over by children.
- Avoid using excessive heat.
- Never leave food, especially grease, unattended on the stove.
- Use a dry powder fire extinguisher on grease fires, or cover the pot with a cooking sheet or lid.
- Never put water on a grease fire.
- Keep the stove clean of excessive grease.
- Keep any items that may burn three feet from heating appliances.
- Do not wear loose clothing, such as long hanging sleeves and robes while cooking.
- Never carry children and hot food or liquids at the same time.
- Place cooking appliances such a coffee makers, fryers, and their cords out of reach of children.
- Never use grills and outdoor equipment, under carports, in garages, or in the house.
- Make sure an adult always stays in the kitchen while cooking,
- Keep children and pets out of the kitchen.
- Ensure that you have at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your house.
- Leave deep-frying turkey to the professionals.
- The Underwriters Laboratory Inc., a product safety testing and certification source, will not give its trusted UL mark to any turkey fryer because of the hazards associated with using it.
- Turkey fryers resemble a commercial coffee pot and are filled with oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and above. Fire departments nationwide raised concern in the use of turkey fryers.
- Turkey fryers resemble a commercial coffee pot and are filled with oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and above. Fire departments nationwide raised concern in the use of turkey fryers.
- Follow your fryer's instructions.
- Only deep fry smaller turkeys - up to 12 pounds.
- To determine how much oil you will need, put the turkey in the basket and place it in the pot. Add water until it reaches one to two inches above the turkey. Lift the turkey out, and use a ruler to measure the distance from the water to the top of the fryer. Pour out the water and dry the fryer completely.
- Before frying, pat the turkey dry with paper towels to keep the hot oil from splattering and popping.
- Turkey fryer should always be used outdoors at a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn.
- Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages.
- Make the sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
- Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
- Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets near the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot, hours after use.
- To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
- Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from soil splatter.
Cook with caution.
- Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, do not use the stove or stovetop.
- Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain at home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
- Keep anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains away from your stovetop.
- Keep a lid nearby when you are cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
- When in doubt, just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
Please observe the cooking safety tips to prevent cooking fires.
Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone.
By Nenita Wells
25NOV2009
After reading my article, please visit: http://www.searchwarp.com/Register.asp The Searchwarp Community needs a writer like you and remember to mention my name if asked who referred you to Searchwarp. Thank you.
If you like inspirational and motivational poems please visit: www.raindropsfromheaven.com
The author was born in one of the 7,100 islands in the Philippines, in Leyte where the famous American five-star general, Douglas MacArthur landed during WWII. She is one of eight children, and she has thirty-five nieces and nephews. She was raised by her parents to be a good Christian. Attended public school both in Elementary and High School in the Philippines. She went to college under the work and study program, earned her bachelor's degree with honors and her first paid full-time job was as secretary to the High School Principal, her first boss was a Benedictine Sister from Germany who was the Administrator of the Catholic school. She lived in New York City from 1977 to 2004 and now lives in Providence, Rhode Island. She loves to read and write poetry.
This Article has been viewed 1,844 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsGreat common sense tips, Nenita, that sometimes we forget to observe when in the moment. The next time I have turkey on the menu, it may be deep-fried. I will keep your advice in mind.Hi Lorrie. Thank you for your kind words. If there is one cooking fire prevented from happening because of this article, then I can say to myself, I have done something good. I appreciate your stopping by, taking the time to read and comment. Blessings. ~Nenita~
Thanks for writing this article. It was very informative.Hi Clairessa. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your kind words and I am glad that you took the time to read and comment. Best to you. ~Nenita~
Thanks for the safety tips! This will be of big help for everyone. Keep posting informative articles like this one. =)You are welcome Angeline. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment. Thank you for the 5 stars, I appreciate it. Best regards, ~Nenita~
Interesting article. Being the one that cooks at Christmas in our house I have to admit to enjoying a glass or two of mulled wine. On most other points I pass muster!Thanks Peter for stopping by and for taking the time to read and comment. Hhmm, I can smell and taste that mulled wine! Happy holidays. ~Nenita~
Wonderful tips and will surely help me in my daily routine. It was very informative.TehminaHi Tehmina. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I appreciate your kind words and I am glad that my article is helpful. Happy holidays!~Nenita~
These are very interesting points. As the holidays approach, this is a good article to refer back to. Thanks.Hi Scott. Thank you for stopping by, reading and commenting. I appreciate your kind words and the generous 5 Stars. I am glad this article is helpful. Happy holidays! ~Nenita~
This was a very well written article, extremely informative and educational. More people in the US could benefit from these facts about fires - especially during the holidays and especially during thanksgiving!Hi Bonita. Thank you so much for your kind words. I appreciate your reading and commenting. Being cautiously alert in the kitchen could save accident and burns. Thank you for the generous 5 stars. Thanks for stopping by. Happy holidays! ~Nenita~
informative and interesting well done!!Thank you Richard. I really appreciate your stopping by, your kind words and for taking the time to read and comment. Happy holidays! ~Nenita~
People don't realize the danger of fire and it's good to see someone writing about this important topic.Hi Joshua. If there is one fire that is prevented because someone read this article, I will feel good as a writer. Thank you so much for stopping by and for taking the time to read and comment. Happy holidays! ~Nenita
Nenita,Thank you for the great information.LawrenceYou are welcome Lawrence. I hope that people will be cautiously alert in their kitchen this holiday season.I hope your book signing went well.Best of luck to you and yours,Nenita
More comments
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.