Thanksgiving Fire Safety

11/23/2020 (Permalink)

What day do you think is the busiest for fire departments? Thanksgiving! The typical American tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving usually consists of gathering and enjoying a big meal with your friends and family. With a big meal, comes lots of cooking! Especially this as many people will be home cooking, the number of home fires involving cooking equipment will probably spike over 4 times the daily average on Thanksgiving. If you are hosting or visiting, be sure to follow these preventive safety tips when preparing this year’s Thanksgiving feast!

• Ensure your stove is clean and oven have no build up of grease or food. It is recommended to clean your stove and oven the weekend before.
• Never leave the kitchen when cooking. Always attend and stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop. Items in the oven may not require as much attention but food on the stovetop will need constant monitoring in case of spillage or splatter.
• Remain home while cooking the turkey. Turkeys tend to take a longer period to cook so it is important to be sure you are home, staying inside and checking on it frequently. The last thing anyone wants on Thanksgiving is a burnt turkey that may catch fire.
• Make sure your home is stocked with flame-resistant oven mitts, potholders and lids near you while cooking. With these handy you can smother any flames before they get out of control.
• If the unfortunate event a fire does occur, turn off all heat and keep the oven door closed. The fire will burn out on its own. Once the fire has gone out, open your windows before carefully opening the oven door to release any smoke. If the fire does not go out, leave the house immediately and call 911.
• Double check all fire alarms have working batteries and are working. Review the fire escape route in the event of a fire.

Stay safe this holiday season and be sure to prepare and practice preventive steps on fire safety in your home. SERVPRO of Biddeford-Saco and The Sebago Lakes Region is always here in case of a home fire and we will ensure that your home will go back to normal "Like it never even happened."