The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office is offering tips for a safe holiday dinner.
House fires are four times more likely to happen on Thanksgiving Day due to the nature of involving more cooking equipment. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year from 2017 to 2019, an estimated average of 2,300 residential building fires were reported to fire departments in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when preparing food, not just during the holiday season but all year.
- Never leave food that you are frying, boiling, grilling or broiling unattended! If you leave the kitchen, even for a short amount of time, turn off the stove.
- Frying a turkey has become more popular in recent years.
- Make sure to not overfill oil in the fryer. Fill the pot you plan to use to fry the turkey with water and place the turkey in. This will help to determine how much oil is needed without causing oil to spill out when you are ready to fry, which could lead to a fire.
- Use the turkey fryer outdoors ONLY!
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before frying.
- Use long cooking gloves that protect hands and arms when you handle the pot!
- Create a “Kid Free Zone” of at least three feet around the stove or anywhere you are preparing hot food or drinks.
- Keep the area around the stove clear of towels, papers, potholders or anything that can burn.
- Smother small flames in a pan by sliding a lid over the pan. Turn off the burner and leave the lid over the pan while it cools.
- If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire, just get out! Call 9-1-1 or your emergency number from outside the home.
Sen. Anderson would like to wish you and your family a very safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.