GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and break bread with loved ones. But, Thanksgiving is also the number one day for house fires, according to National Fire Protection Association.
All year, the NFPA and fire safety experts across Michigan, have warned about the dangers of cooking fires. Those warnings take on added importance with an increased number of people staying home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
On average, Thanksgiving cooking accounts for 77% of residential fires. Cooking on the holiday also triples the risk of a fire compared to just a regular day. Statistics show, two-thirds of those fires start when food or cooking materials ignite. They also, happen most often when no one is watching.
Grand Rapids Fire Department's, Lt. William Smith says the department is urging people to never leave food cooking, unattended, for any period of time.
"If you are cooking on the stove, don't leave the kitchen for any reason, even momentarily," says Smith. "You know, we tend to set things on the stove and then we walk away. That can go really wrong for you and it is something that can put you and your property in great peril."
Smith says should a fire start in the kitchen, there is one very important rule to follow.
"Don't panic when you're cooking and you have a cooking fire. That can really lead to some bad choices. If you are in the practice of good cooking operations, and doing it safely, you shouldn't have an issue," he says. "If you can, maybe you can shut off your appliance before that fire grows. But if it's too big, you will want to get everybody out of the house and call 9-1-1 to get us going. We want you to have a great holiday, but a safe one too."
Safe cooking habits include practicing the following the advice:
- Make sure your oven and stove are clean and free of grease and dust.
- Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.
- Keep things that can catch fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels away from direct contact with the cooking area.
- Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Leave it for a long while to prevent the fire from flaring up again.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- When deep frying a turkey, set it up on a stable surface, at least 10 feet away from the home, and don't overfill the fryer. Also, make sure the turkey is properly thawed before starting.
- Always have someone on cooking duty, to keep an eye on things. Rotate shifts if necessary.
- Make sure there are working smoke alarms in the home.
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