While Thanksgiving is a time for family dinners and get-togethers, add a healthy dose of safety to their preparations this Thanksgiving, since the National Fire Protection Association says cooking is the leading cause of home fires on a day that has three times more home fires than any other day of the year.
Unattended cooking is the culprit in most of those fires, said the U.S. Fire Administration.
“It’s easy to get distracted while cooking and entertaining family and friends on Thanksgiving Day,” said Don Neal, Southern California Edison director of Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety. “But you should never leave cooking equipment or appliances unattended for any reason. It is imperative that you turn them off or have someone else watch them if you leave the room. It only takes a few inattentive seconds to ruin your holiday.”
Some tips to keep in mind while preparing Thanksgiving dinner:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- 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 electrical 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 room with a lit a candle.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
About 2,000 fires occur each year in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day, causing on average five fatalities, 15 injuries and $21 million in property damage, according to the fire administration.
Additionally, customers should ensure that appliances bear the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark. UL is the leading independent product safety organization, and they do not currently certify the use of turkey fryers.
SCE recommends some other safety tips for Thanksgiving:
- Replace appliances with frayed cords. Contact with them can cause electric shock and serious injury.
- Plug countertop appliances into Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)-protected outlets.
- Locate all appliances away from the sink. Remember, water and electricity do not mix.
- Do not overload outlets with multiple adaptors or power strips.
- Do not use extension cords with major appliances.
- Never fight an electrical or grease fire with water. Keep a fire extinguisher, UL listed and rated for electrical and grease fires, nearby.
- Unplug appliances that aren’t in use, preventing them from being turned on accidentally.
- Keep appliance cords out of reach of children and keep the floor clear of other cords to prevent falls.
For more on electrical safety at home, visit sce.com/staysafe.