The Seattle Fire Department reminds residents to be mindful of fire safety during this holiday season. Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking-related fires. Other holiday-related home fires involve heating and electrical sources.
Here are a few safety tips to make your Thanksgiving safer:
- Keep an adult by the stove while cooking your favorite dishes!
- Involve children in preparing foods that are not hot, and at least 3 feet from a hot stove.
- Check on food regularly while cooking – unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires
- Unplug kitchen electrical items which have a heating element such as coffee pots, rice cookers and toasters, when not in use.
- Extinguish candles before leaving the room and before going to bed. Better yet, use flameless candles.
- Give your heaters space! Keep flammable items 1 foot from baseboard heaters and 3 feet from portable space heaters.
- If a fire starts on the stove top, cover it with a lid or metal cookie sheet and turn the stove off. Do not throw water on a grease fire.
Using a turkey fryer? Get some safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association.
For additional Thanksgiving safety information visit the National Fire Protection Association or contact Public Education at fireinfo@seattle.gov.