2022 Fire Prevention and Safety Tips Blog: Hosting a Safe Thanksgiving Dinner
Reminders and Safety Tips from the Redwood City and San Carlos Fire Department
Getting ready for — and actually hosting — Thanksgiving Dinner can be stressful enough without having to deal with the fallout from a fire.
Unfortunately, the chances of having a home fire during Thanksgiving are significant. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), it’s the top day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas Eve. Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
To help ensure you and your guests can be thankful for a safe and enjoyable holiday, the City of Redwood City/City of San Carlos fire department would like to share some safety tips.
Keeping fire safety in mind during this joyous but hectic time is important, especially when there’s a lot of activity and people at home. As you start preparing your holiday schedule and organizing that large family feast, remember, by following a few simple safety tips you can enjoy time with your loved ones and keep yourself and your family safer from fire.
Stay in the Kitchen When You’re Cooking
While it’s tempting to go check on your guests, or go quickly pick up something you forgot to buy at the market, it’s important to stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
Keep Kids Away from the Stove
Another reason it’s a good idea to stay in the kitchen is that kids may be tempted to taste the food unsupervised and get burned by the hot surface or liquids. Keep children at least three feet away from a hot stove, as the steam or splash from hot foods and liquids could cause serious burns or injury. Make sure that anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packing, towels or curtains — are away from your stovetop.
Keep the Kitchen Floor & Counters Clear
When everyone’s in the spirit, they can get a bit careless in the excitement. Make sure the floor is clear of tripping hazards like toys, pocketbooks or bags. Keep potentially dangerous items on the counter out of the reach of children, such as knives, or dangling electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer. Put matches and utility lighters up high in a locked cabinet so kids can’t play with them. Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle, as there’s a good chance they will knock it over when playing
Make Sure Your Smoke Alarms are Working
Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button. If you aren’t in the habit of changing your smoke alarm batteries when you change your clocks in the fall and spring, change the batteries before this Thanksgiving.
Know How to Put Out Small Cooking Fires
If you have a small cooking fire and decide to fight the fire, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire…Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire. Call 9–1–1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.
Take Extra Caution with Turkey Fryers
With the speed of deep-frying a turkey, the irresistible flavor, and juiciness that results, turkey frying has become a Thanksgiving tradition for some. Turkey fryers have the potential to cause fire and serious injury. If you plan to deep-fry your holiday bird, be sure you know how to safely use the fryer, and take these precautions to protect yourself, your guests and your home.
Keep outdoor fryers off decks, out of garages and a safe distance away from trees and other structures. Propane-fire turkey fryers MUST be used outdoors. Place the fryer on a level surface, and avoid moving it once it’s in use.
Watch the weather. If rain or snow hits the hot cooking oil, the oil may splatter or turn to steam, leading to burns.
Make sure the turkey is COMPLETELY thawed and COMPLETELY dry before cooking it. A partially thawed turkey will cause the oil to splatter leading to serious burns. Contact between hot oil and skin could result in serious injury.
Never leave fryers unattended. Purchase a fryer with temperature controls, and watch the oil temperature carefully. In deep frying, oil is heated to temperatures of 350 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Cooking oil is combustible. If it is heated above its cooking temperature, its vapors can ignite. If you notice the oil is smoking, turn the fryer off.
Turn off the burner before lowering the turkey into the oil. Once the turkey is submerged, turn the burner on. Wear goggles to shield your eyes, use oven mitts to protect your hands and arms and keep a grease-rated fire extinguisher — a K extinguisher — close by. Do NOT use water or a garden hose on a fire related to turkey fryers.
Skip the stuffing when frying turkey, and avoid water-based marinades. Keep children and pets away from the fryer at all times. Once finished, carefully remove the pot from the burner, place it on a level surface and cover to let the oil cool overnight before disposing. Opt for an oil-less fryer. This uses infrared heat, rather than oil, to cook the turkey.
Teach Kids that Hot Things Can Burn
Teach children that hot things can burn, including hot liquid and steam. Place hot liquids and food in the center of a table or toward the back of a counter. Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried. Keep pot handles turned inward. Keep clothing from coming in contact with flames or heating elements. Open microwaved food slowly, away from the face. Never hold a child while you are cooking, drinking a hot liquid, or carrying hot foods or liquids. Allow microwaved food to cool before eating. Choose prepackaged soups whose containers have a wide base or, to avoid the possibility of a spill, pour the soup into a traditional bowl after heating.
How to Prevent Scalds
Many are surprised to learn that scalds are the leading cause of burns in kids. A great way to help prevent scalds is to install anti-scald devices on tub faucets and shower heads. Always supervise a child in or near a bathtub. Test the water at the faucet. It should be less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Test the water by moving your hand, wrist and forearm through the water. The water should feel warm, not hot, to the touch.
How to Treat Scalds
Treat a burn right away. Cool the burn with cool running water for up to 20 minutes. Cover the burn with a sterile material to protect from infection. Use a clean dry dressing or plastic cling film wrap to cover the burn. For deep or extensive burns of any size, send the patient immediately to the hospital for further medical treatment.
The Fire Department urges all residences in Redwood City and San Carlos to practice Thanksgiving Safety and scald prevention during the holiday season.
For more safety tips, go www.nfpa.org for more online resources.
