Awareness and preparedness key to safe Thanksgiving cooking

As the Thanksgiving holiday rolls around this week, staying safe while preparing one’s feast is something that is easily overlooked with the chaos that bringing the family together can create.

Members of the Clark County building and fire department caution that cooking is the No. 1 cause of home fires. In fact, Thanksgiving is the top day of the year for cooking-related blazes as well, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

“Thanksgiving and other major holidays are a great time of year to enjoy your family, friends and good food, but they also are times when kitchens are in high use and cooking fires and burn injuries can happen,” said Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell.

Sam Palmer, who oversees the Department of Building and Fire Prevention for Clark County explained being focused and prepared is key.

“It’s easy to become distracted during the holidays,” Palmer said. “Make sure your household smoke detectors are in good working order in case of fire, and never leave cooking food unattended in a kitchen.”

Last year, 30 percent of residential fires in Clark County were blamed on cooking mishaps.

Leaving food unattended is the leading cause of cooking-related fires, and frying is the cooking method that creates the highest risk of fire.

Despite being a popular way to cook a bird, the NFPA discourages the use of turkey fryers due to a large amount of oil used and high cooking temperatures.

The following safety tips are recommended to prevent cooking fires:

When cooking:

■ Always stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food.

■ Adult supervision of children is always needed in kitchens and all cooking areas.

■ Position grills, fryers and other outdoor cooking devices well away from walls, siding, deck railings, and out from under eaves and branches. Ensure these items can’t tip over.

■ Keep flammable materials such as oven mitts and towels away from the stove or cooking device.

■ Stay alert. If you are tired or consuming alcohol, don’t cook.

■ Don’t forget to turn off your oven, fryer, barbecue and stove-top burners. Every year fires are started when people turn on these items and then forget to turn them off.

■ Every kitchen should have a working, multi-purpose fire extinguisher with an ABC rating. Check your fire extinguisher on a regular basis. Replace used, outdated or damaged extinguishers.

If you have a cooking fire:

■ On a stove-top fire, if it is safe to do so, turn off the burner, then using caution, place a lid on the pan or pot to smother or extinguish a small fire.

■ For an oven fire, turn off the oven. Keep the oven door closed to smother and extinguish the fire.

■ Do not use water to extinguish a grease or oil fire. Adding water to a pan of hot oil or grease will cause the burning grease to splash out of the pan and spread the fire. Turn off the stove, fryer or propane tank supply valve, and use a lid, baking soda or fire extinguisher on the flames.

■ Don’t take risks with fire. When in doubt, get out of the home and call 911. Close the door behind you to help contain the fire. Nationally, more than half of all reported home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves.

Child safety in kitchens

The holidays can be a fun time of year to allow kids to help out in the kitchen. Remember these safety tips:

■ Keep children at least three feet away from the stove, and never leave kids unattended in the kitchen.

■ Ensure that pot and pan handles on stoves are turned inward to reduce the chance of accidental spills.

■ Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.

■ Keep knives out of the reach of children.

■ Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.

■ Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.

■ Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.

Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.