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Red Cross Offers Tips to Help Avoid Cooking Fire on
Thanksgiving
Published: November 26, 2024
at 02:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from American Red Cross
Red Cross offers steps to help you avoid a cooking
fire on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a peak day for home cooking fires in
the U.S.
Thanksgiving and
the day before are the top two days in this country for the chance of a
cooking fire to happen in someone’s home. Cooking causes an average of
158,400 home fires per year, which is 44% of all home fires in the United
States. The American Red Cross, Hudson Valley, offers safety
steps everyone can follow if they will be preparing their family’s
Thanksgiving feast.
“Cooking is the
leading cause of home fires, home fire injuries and the second leading
cause of home fire deaths,” said Lisa Smith ,
Executive Director American Red Cross Central and Northern New York. “Most
happen because people leave cooking food unattended. We want everyone to
have a safe, enjoyable holiday, so don’t leave the kitchen while you’re cooking.”
COOKING SAFETY
TIPS Follow these safety tips and visit redcross.org/fire for
more information, including a fire escape plan to practice with your
family.
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying,
grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for
even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove
or oven is on.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling
sleeves while cooking.
- Keep kids and pets at least three feet away
from cooking areas.
- Keep anything that can catch
on fire — potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or
plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains — away from your
stove top and oven or any other appliance that generates heat.
- Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to
prevent grease buildup.
- Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to
keep in your kitchen.
- Always check the kitchen before going to bed
or leaving home to make sure all stoves, ovens and small appliances
are turned off.
Smoke alarms save
lives. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home,
near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with
doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all
batteries at least once a year. If you cannot afford to purchase smoke
alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able
to help. Contact your local
Red Cross for more information.
HOME FIRE
CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire
Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 2,196 lives
by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans
and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To
learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.
About the
American Red Cross:
The American Red
Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters;
supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives;
distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military
members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that
depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver
its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org,
or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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