Thanksgiving Day is Leading Day for Home Cooking Fires

City of Madison Fire Department to share cooking safety tips

Preparing a meal can be hectic from timing ingredients, to the phone ringing, to the kids calling. With these added pressures, it’s no wonder we can be distracted when cooking. Every day when we prepare meals, we are at risk of a cooking fire.
 
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2013 “Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment” report states that in 2011, Thanksgiving was the leading day for home cooking fires, with three times as many fires occurring on this holiday as any average day of the year. In 2011, there were 1,210 fires on Thanksgiving, a 183 percent increase over the daily average. 
 
The City of Madison Firefighters want to help our community reduce its risk of cooking fires and related injuries and deaths. This is not an issue to take lightly. Changing people’s behaviors in the kitchen can help prevent these fires.
 
Simple steps can be taken to be safer when cooking.
1.         Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you have to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
2.         When simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
3.         Stay alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
4.         Keep anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains away from the stovetop.
 
If you have a cooking fire…
1.      Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
2.      Call 9-1-1 from outside the home.
3.      If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear path out of the home, and that someone has called the fire department.
4.      Keep a lid nearby when cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by  sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
5.      For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

Links

• thanksgivingsafety.pdf
• City of Madison Fire Department
• National Fire Protection Association Safety Information

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