Keep Your Family Safe This Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  Soon the smell of roasted turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie will circulate throughout many homes.  Don't let these wonderful aromas turn into the awful smell of smoke!

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on a typical day.

Here are some simple steps you can follow when cooking in your home this Thanksgiving. These steps might seem like common sense, but it never hurts to review some basic fire safety tips.

• Stay in the kitchen while you’re cooking. However, if you must leave the kitchen for a short period of time, always turn off the stove!

• Check on your food regularly, especially if it’s simmering, baking, or roasting.

• Keep oven mitts, wooden utensils, towels, curtains, or any packaging away from the stove and cooking area where they could easily catch on fire.

• Be alert and attentive whenever cooking on a hot stove. Try to avoid consuming alcohol when cooking.

• If you choose to cook your turkey in a disposable aluminum pan, use two pans to avoid a puncture, which could cause drippings that can lead to an oven fire.

Be safe and try to take extra precautions when cooking in your home this holiday season. If you should happen to have an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
Keep your family and home safe and lower your risk of a house fire during this holiday season by following some really simple fire safety tips!