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Fire often a risk during holiday celebration
Published November 25, 2009
SEGUIN — Ready for Thanksgiving?
Not until you’ve talked a little turkey with Seguin Fire Marshal Greg Dreiss.
For anyone who’s watched the Thanksgiving feast come together — particularly as deep-frying the big birds becomes increasingly popular — it’s probably no surprise that you are three times more likely tomorrow to have a house fire than on almost any other day of the year, and it’s most likely to start in your kitchen.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association, cooking is the number one cause of residential fires — contributing to 40 percent of all residential blazes.
That’s an average of 150,200 home fires for each of the past three years — about 1,300 of them occurring on Thanksgiving Day, which is about three times the daily average for cooking fires.
Those cooking-related fires caused an average of 500 deaths, 4,600 injuries and $756 million in property damage, the NFPA reports. The leading cause, officials say, is unattended cooking, with second being something flammable bursting into flames because it was too close to cooking equipment. Third was equipment unintentionally turned on — or not turned off.
Dreiss says a little attention to holiday fire safety would help ensure that you get through the holidays without tragedy.
“The place I would start as we approach Thanksgiving is to use great caution if you’re going to fry a turkey,” Dreiss said.
Turkey fryers use high-heat gas burners and are intended to be used outside — and well away from overhangs, siding or flammable landscaping.
Be sure to not overfill the cooking kettle with oil, the fire marshal said.
A good system for determining how much oil to use is to take a frozen turkey still in its wrapper and set it in the kettle. Then, fill the kettle with water to a point two inches above the turkey, pull the turkey out and measure the water. That’s how much oil you need. To avoid a dangerous boilover of hot oil, the cooker with turkey and oil should be about half full. If it’s more than that, a bigger kettle or a smaller turkey is a good idea. And don’t stuff a fried turkey — prepare the dressing in the microwave, in the oven or on the stovetop.
Just like you should have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, you should have one nearby outdoors if you cook a turkey — one that’s rated for handling a grease fire.
“I recommend one of those ABC all-purpose extinguishers,” Dreiss said. “Everybody should have one in the kitchen, and a second one is a good idea if you’re frying a turkey.”
In the house, make sure the kitchen is properly prepared for the heavy cooking to come Thursday.
Be sure the oven is clean — a dirty oven can impart unwanted flavors and also poses a fire risk. Make sure the kitchen is set up so towels, mitts and pot holders are kept at least three feet from any heat source unless in use, and that curtains, paper towels or napkins are not placed so they can be accidentally brushed or blown onto a heat source, including a hot plate or a buffet pan.
If a potholder becomes wet, change it out for a dry one. Water in a potholder turns into steam when it touches a hot pan, and the steam will scald.
Wear clothing that is safe for cooking — and not loose items like robes or dresses that can catch on pot handles, which should always be turned toward the back or side of the stove to lessen the likelihood of a kettle or pan being pulled off the stove top.
It’s also best to keep kids away from hot appliances.
“You should never leave any cooking unattended on your stovetop, and you should carefully watch children if they’re going to help you,” Dreiss said. “Never let them cook on their own.”
If you have a stove fire, Dreiss said, the best thing to do is not to open the door.
“If you have a fire in the stove, turn it off,” Dreiss said. “The stove is designed to contain the flames, and it’s going to run out of oxygen in there. Call the fire department. Never open it unless you have a fire extinguisher in hand.”
On the stove top, it’s best to make sure a tight-fitting lid is readily available for any pan in use. If grease or food catches fire, the best thing to do is carefully slide that lid over the top of the pan, Dreiss said.
“Never, ever use water on a fire on a stovetop.” Dreiss warned. “Try to place the lid back on the ban or use a fire extinguisher. If you don’t have an extinguisher or a lid, use a substance that’s non-flammable.”
Microwave ovens don’t often catch fire, but they carry a big risk of scalding injuries, Dreiss said.
A dish might not feel hot to the touch, but the food inside could be scalding hot — and the steam that escapes when you open the lid or take the plastic off will certainly be dangerously hot.
“Always use due caution when using a microwave,” Dreiss said. “Never assume something inside is anything but very hot.”
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