Thanksgiving day is the peak day for home cooking fires. The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office encourages everyone to practice fire safety this Thanksgiving holiday.
"Unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths in the United States," said Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie L. Christensen. "In order to have a fire-safe and fun Thanksgiving, HCFMO encourages everyone to stay in the kitchen while cooking and keep an eye on what you fry. These fire safety tips will help everyone have a fire-safe Thanksgiving holiday."
Safety Tips
The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office encourages everyone to follow these safety tips this holiday season:
- 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 children should stay 3 feet away
- Make sure children 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 children, 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
- Make sure your smoke alarms work. Test them by pushing the test button
