Include Safety in Your Thanksgiving Holiday

11/15/2017 (Permalink)

Candles cause an estimated 15,600 house fires, 150 deaths, and 1,270 injuries each year. Never leave a candle unattended.

Especially during the holidays, the kitchen is the heart of the home. From baking and decorating cookies to testing family recipes, keeping kitchen fire safety at the top of your mind is a must- certainly when there is a lot of activity and people in one space.

Some Thanksgiving not-so-fun facts:

• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Eve/Day.
• In 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,760 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving.
• Unattended cooking was the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.

With that said, here are some safety tips for the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday:

• Stay in the kitchen/home when you are cooking so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Make sure kids stay away from the stove and oven.
• Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
• Be sure electric cords are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child or pet.
• Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children.
• Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working.

Caution is not a buzz kill. A house fire, on the other hand, is.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday, Portage County!