"GREENSBORO, NC (Nov. 23) – According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Thanksgiving Day is the leading day for home cooking fires, at a rate of three times as many as any other day of the year.
“Thanksgiving is a great time to gather with families and friends to give thanks, but accidents happen when we’re distracted entertaining and socializing,” says Greensboro Interim Fire Chief Bobby Nugent. The NFPA reports that for each year from 2011 to 2013, an estimated 2,100 residential building fires were reported to fire departments in the US on Thanksgiving Day and caused an estimated 10 deaths, 50 injuries, and $28 million in property loss.
By recognizing the risks of the holidays and making simple adjustments, people can greatly reduce their chance of home cooking fires.
NFPA recommends the following safety tips:
· Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you have to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
· When simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
· Stay alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
· Keep anything that can catch fire such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains away from the stovetop.
If you have a cooking fire:
· Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
· Call 9-1-1 from outside the home.
· If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear path out of the home, and that someone has called the fire department.
· Keep a lid nearby when cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
· For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed."
- A Press Release
No comments:
Post a Comment