Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and many are looking forward to a great meal with their family and friends. While most people are fantasizing about eating a delicious feast, we can easily forget the hard work that goes into preparing the meal. An often overlooked piece of the food preparation is the fire safety aspect. Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for fire departments, with over double the average number of residential fires. Because of this, we put together this quick fire safety guide to help keep your Thanksgiving feast accident free.

  1. Keep the workspace clear of distractions
    The most basic way to prevent fires while cooking is to keep the workspace, usually the kitchen, clear of any distractions. Because the leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking, you don’t want the cook’s attention taken away from their workspace. The cooks should be alert and attentive, so leave those who are tired or under the influence out of the kitchen.Although they love to help, keep kids away from the cooking area. Not only can it be dangerous for them, it can also risk distracting the cooks. Preventing any distractions in the workplace is key to preventing kitchen fires. If the kids really want to help, let them do something much less dangerous, like setting the table.
  2. Be prepared for a fire
    While nobody wants a kitchen fire, being prepared in the event of one is essential. Prevention is the easiest way, but we also recommend some other precautions in case a fire does start. Be sure to have gear on hand to help extinguish the fire. Fire blankets or home fire extinguishers are great to have handy if worse comes to worst.
  3. What to do if a fire breaks out?
    In addition to having proper fire extinguishing tools at the ready, you should also know how to use them properly. Be sure to practice using fire extinguishers and fire blankets. If you need help, try your local fire department. They often have tips and guides online showing you how to use the equipment. Some may even offer in-person fire safety courses.

Another important thing to know is the differences between types of fires. For example, while it’s often thought of to extinguish fire with water, that won’t work for grease fires. Grease fires are often the result of cooking oil or grease catching fire. The unique thing about them is that water won’t put out these fires. Adding water to a grease fire will just spread the hot grease around, likely causing serious damage. Instead of water, try covering a grease fire with a lid or large pot to deprive it of oxygen. A fire blanket also works well for this purpose.

Most importantly, if you aren’t able to control the flame, then just get out! Evacuate the home quickly and call your local emergency number. Don’t worry, the fire department is used to Thanksgiving accidents, and they’ll be able to help you out.

Now that you know these simple fire safety tips, you can apply them to your next Thanksgiving gathering. Share these tips with your friends and family to keep Thanksgiving safe, letting you enjoy the delicious feast with friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi, How Can We Help You?
Aloha to the Rescue

Aloha to the Rescue

How can we help?

If this is an emergency
please call

847-865-5664