With friends and family visiting your home this Thanksgiving, it is important to stay safe! Especially with the added risks Thanksgiving dinner brings.

Did you know U.S. Fire Departments respond on average to 166,100 cooking related structure fires each year?

On Thanksgiving day, more people are cooking in their homes than any other day in the year. Fire departments respond to 4 times as many cooking fires on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. 

Studies have found many of these fires could have been prevented with some basic precautions.

Keep matches and lighters away from children Never leave children alone with a lit candle Make sure smoke alarms are working, test them by pushing the button Keep electric cords away from hot surfaces and don’t let them hang off of the counter Keep knives out of reach of children Keep the floor clean so you don’t trip or slip Keep children away from the stove When cooking a turkey, stay home and check on it frequently Stay in the kitchen when using a stove-top

 

Click here for our Thanksgiving Fire Safety Info-graphic

 

Frying a Turkey

Each year, turkey frying alone is responsible for a national average of 5 deaths, 60 injuries, and the destruction of 900 homes. While the use of oil turkey fryers is discouraged, some safety precautions can minimize risk of use. 

Turkey Frying Safety Precautions:

Make sure the turkey is completely thawed Turn the burner off when lowering the turkey in the oil Use fryer outdoors away from combustible materials Have a fire extinguisher nearby