Decking the halls? Take steps to prevent holiday fires
Tag: fire protection
It’s turkey time — take action to prevent a home cooking fire!
Did you know that 2 out of 3 home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials and that Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for home cooking fires? The U.S. Fire Administration reports these and other facts about cooking fires from the National Fire Protection Association based on 2006-2010 annual averages.
Ranges accounted for about one out of two home cooking fires. Deep frying a turkey presents additional risks.
The U.S. Fire Administration highlights these most common risks when using turkey fryers.
- Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area.
- An overfilled cooking pot will cause cooking oil to spill when the turkey is put in. A partially thawed turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when put in the pot.
- Even a small amount of cooking oil spilling on a hot burner can cause a large fire.
- Deep fryers without thermostat controls can overheat oil and start a fire.
- The sides of the cooking pot, lid, and pot handles can get dangerously hot.
Still not convinced? Watch this video from Underwriter’s Laboratories to see how frying a turkey can be dangerous.
Fall back, plan ahead
On November 2, Daylight Saving Time ended and clocks went back an hour. Did you also remember to check the batteries in your smoke alarm?
Most alarms need a new battery at least once year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Also, replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old with a new alarm and battery.
This is important! According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were an estimated 365,000 reported home structure fires in 2012. Nearly 2,500 deaths resulted from those fires.
As NFPA reminds us:
Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
Take steps ahead of an emergency!
- Create and practice a home fire escape plan.
- Be sure that windows and doors in your home are clear and operable.
- Learn more and download NFPA’s escape planning grid at http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/escape-planning
