Prevent cooking fires on Thanksgiving

Tuesday, Nov. 13 | By Mark Grandstaff

When it comes time to prepare a Thanksgiving feast to your family, be careful how you cook.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 69 percent of all residential fires on Thanksgiving Day are cooking fires. On every other day of the year, cooking fires account for 42 percent of fires. Almost four out of five of those fires are contained within an oven, pot or other cooking object, but the rest spread.

To stay safe this year:

Stay in the kitchen at all times when applying heat or flame to food. If you have to leave, turn off the oven or heating device.

Avoid wearing loose clothing while cooking.

Keep anything flammable, like oven mitts, bags, and wooden utensils, away from your oven or stove top while cooking.

Use a turkey fryer outside in an open area away from walls, fences or any other structure that could ignite.

Be sure your smoke detector works. Replace the battery at least once every year.

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