The following information is provided by the Upton Fire Department. Stay safe this Thanksgiving.
Cooking is the leading cause of fires in the home and the leading cause of fire injuries. Thanksgiving is the #1 day for home fires in Massachusetts. The following are some safety tips to keep safe on Thanksgiving Day.
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Use a timer when baking or roasting and never leave the house with the oven running.
- The best way to respond to a stovetop fire is to “put a lid on it” and turn off the heat.
- The best way to respond to an oven or broiler fire is to keep the doors closed and turn off the heat.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Run cool water on burns, call 9-1-1 for more serious burn injuries.
- Keep children 3-feet away from the stove for safety to prevent burns.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
Candles make any holiday festive, but it’s important to follow some safety tips when using candles:
- Burn them inside a 1 foot circle of safety free of anything that can burn.
- Think twice about lighting the candles on that lovely centerpiece if it means you can’t follow the 1-foot circle of safety rule.
- Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
- Use non- combustible holders or saucers.
- Blow out candles when leaving the room; don’t leave candles burning unattended.
- Remember to stop, drop, cover and roll if clothing ignites.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) discourages the use of outdoor gas- fueled turkey fryers that immerse the turkey in hot oil.
NFPA continues to believe that turkey fryers that use cooking oil, as currently designed, are not for safe use by even a well-informed and careful consumer. These turkey fryers use a substantial quantity of cooking oil at high temperatures and units currently available for home use pose a significant danger that hot oil will be released at some point during the cooking process. In addition, the burners that heat the oil can ignite spilled oil. The use of turkey fryers by consumers can lead to devastating burns, other injuries, and the destruction of property.
If you still choose to use a gas-fueled turkey fryer use away from the house and only put a thawed out turkey into the hot oil. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for the use of the fryer.
Have a Happy and SAFE Thanksgiving!
UPTON DAILY 