Thanksgiving is a holiday for gratitude, family, and, of course, food. Unfortunately, all that activity in the kitchen makes it the #1 peak day of the year for home cooking fires. A busy kitchen filled with hot surfaces, boiling oil, and distracted cooks is a recipe for disaster.
A few simple precautions can ensure your holiday remains safe, happy, and fire-free. Use this essential Thanksgiving fire safety checklist to protect your home and loved ones.
The “Before You Cook” Safety Checklist
Proper preparation is your first line of defense.
- Test Your Smoke Alarms: A quick 10-second test is the most important thing you can do. A working smoke alarm is your family’s first alert to danger.
- Check Your Fire Extinguisher: Know where your kitchen fire extinguisher is, and check that it is not expired. Ensure it is a multi-purpose (ABC) or Class K extinguisher, which is specifically designed for grease and oil fires.
- Clear the Clutter: The stovetop and counters can become staging areas. Move all flammable items—dish towels, oven mitts, paper towels, food packaging, and wooden utensils—far away from the burners and hot surfaces.
- Plan Your Attire: Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing or long, dangling sleeves. These can easily catch fire when you’re reaching over a hot burner.
Safety “While You’re Cooking”
The “heat of the moment” is when most accidents happen.
- Rule #1: Stay in the Kitchen! Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. If you are frying, grilling, or broiling, stay with your food. If you must leave the kitchen, even for a second, turn off the burner.
- Keep a Lid Nearby: If a small grease fire starts in a pan, the safest way to extinguish it is to slide a lid over the pan and turn off the heat. Leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool. NEVER use water on a grease fire; it will cause the oil to explode.
- Set Multiple Timers: Don’t rely on your memory in a busy, loud kitchen. Use timers on your phone, stove, and microwave to keep track of everything you have cooking.
- Keep Kids & Pets 3 Feet Away: Establish a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and other hot appliances (like the oven door) to prevent burns.
The Turkey Fryer: A Special Hazard
Deep-frying a turkey is popular, but it is also one of the most dangerous ways to cook. If you must use a turkey fryer, follow these rules without exception:
- Fry Outdoors, Far from Everything: Set the fryer up on a flat, level surface, far away from your home, garage, wooden deck, or any overhanging trees.
- Thaw the Turkey Completely: A frozen or even partially frozen turkey dropped into hot oil will cause a massive, dangerous flare-up. The water rapidly turns to steam and explodes the hot oil.
- Don’t Overfill the Oil: Before heating, test the oil level. Place the thawed turkey in the pot, fill it with water until the turkey is covered, then remove the turkey. The water line that’s left is your maximum fill line for the oil. Dry the pot completely before adding the oil.
- Have an Extinguisher Ready: Keep a fire extinguisher rated for grease fires nearby at all times.
What to Do If a Fire Starts
- Small Pan Fire: Slide a lid on it. Turn off the heat. Or, douse it with baking soda (for very small fires).
- Oven Fire: Turn off the oven immediately and keep the door closed. The fire will usually burn itself out from lack of oxygen.
- When to Evacuate: If the fire is growing, don’t try to be a hero. GET OUT, close the door behind you to contain the fire, and call 911 from outside.
From all of us, we wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. And if the worst should happen, know that our fire and smoke damage restoration teams are on call 24/7, even on holidays, to help you recover.
