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We Take Holiday Safety Seriously! Smart Tips for a Safer Thanksgiving!

Whether you’re welcoming family and friends to your home this Thanks­giving, or you’re traveling to celebrate the holiday with others, we want you to stay safe and protected. With all the homemade – or reheated – food, it’s no wonder, that, according to the National Fire Protection Associ­ation (NFPA), Thanks­giving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. On Thanks­giving 2019, U.S. fire depart­ments responded to an estimated 1,400 home cooking fires, and unattended cooking was the leading contributing factor.

Here are a few simple ways to stay safe this holiday:

  • Stay near the stove when cooking, so you can keep an eye on the food and check it frequently.
  • Set a kitchen timer to remind you when to check on food in the oven.
  • Keep children away from the stove, hot foods, and liquids. Steam or splashes from cooking foods can cause serious burns or eye injuries.
  • Be sure that electric cords are not dangling off countertops and are out of reach of children.
  • Make certain matches, candles, and utility lighters are out of reach, and never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle or open flame.
  • Keep the floors clear, so you don’t trip over children, pets, toys or other items.
  • Every home needs at least one residential fire extin­guisher, and now is a great time have an additional one dedicated to the kitchen, as well as one for every floor in your home. Check your at-home fire extin­guishers every month or so, just to be on the safe side.
  • Most impor­tantly, make sure your smoke detectors are working. A good rule of thumb is to check every smoke detector in your home once a month.

Finally, if you are deep-frying a turkey, here are some additional precautions:

  • Keep the turkey fryer away from the house – set up the rig more than 10 feet from your home. Do not fry a turkey in your garage!
  • Find flat ground – keep the oil even and steady by placing it on a flat surface, and carefully gauge the amount of oil needed.
  • Use a thawed and dry turkey — extra water will cause the oil to bubble furiously and spill over. If oil spills from the fryer onto the burner, it can cause a fire.
  • Monitor the temper­ature — many fryers do not have thermostats and can get very hot. As a result, the lid and handles can cause severe burns if touched.
  • Be prepared – have a fire extin­guisher (multi-purpose, dry-powder) ready at all times.
  • Wear full length pot holders to protect your hands and forearms when working with the turkey fryer.

From our families to yours, best wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving.