As Thanksgiving approaches, the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office would like to remind Delawareans of the importance of fire safety in the kitchen. On Thanksgiving Day, there is a lot of activity in the kitchen and many people in the home. Nationwide, it is also the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. We want all Delawareans to have a safe, Happy Thanksgiving.
Please follow these tips to keep you and your families safe this holiday season:
• When cooking on the stovetop, be sure to stay in the kitchen, so you can monitor the food.
• Be on alert! Do not leave the home when cooking your turkey and be sure to check on it often.
• Children should stay 3 feet away from a hot stove.
• Make sure there are no trip hazards on the floor and pot handles are turned in. Spilling hot liquids on skin can cause serious burn injuries.
• Keep anything that can catch fire (towels, oven mitts, utensils, food packaging, etc.) away from your stovetop. If you have a small grease stovetop fire, slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner, or use a fire extinguisher. Never use water, as it can cause the fire to spread. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed.
• Be sure any electrical equipment cords are not dangling off the counter within a child’s reach.
• Likewise, keep knives, matches and lighters away from children. Never leave children in the room unsupervised with a lit candle.
• If your family will be frying a turkey this year, make sure your turkey fryer is outside, on a sturdy, level surface, and at least 10 feet away from your home (not under roof eaves).
• An overfilled fryer will cause cooking oil to spill out when the turkey is put in. Before adding oil, test the amount of oil you need by filling your fryer with water instead. Place the turkey in the pot, making sure the water doesn’t get too close to the top. Measure the water and use that as a guide for filling the pot with oil.
• A partially frozen turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when you put it in the cooking pot. Make sure your turkey is fully thawed before you fry it.
• If your turkey fryer does not have a thermostat, use a kitchen thermometer that attaches to the side of the pot. This will help you monitor the temperature of the oil. Without thermostat controls, deep fryers can overheat oil to the point of starting a fire.
• Always use protective oven mitts. Keep children and pets at least 3 feet from the turkey fryer.