According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires, and holidays are the most common days for them.
Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are the top three days of the year for kitchen fires – which isn’t exactly surprising. It’s the time of year for baking, roasting, cooking and entertaining guests.
In order to avoid common fire safety mistakes, Lorraine Carli of the National Fire Protection Association has made a list of helpful tips to stay safe:
- Stay in the kitchen when cooking so you can keep a close eye on the food, especially when frying and sautéing with oil.
- When cooking a meal that takes a long time like roasting a turkey or baking a roast, check it frequently. And a timer is your friend. Use one to help remind you there’s something cooking. Some people even put timers in different rooms so they can hear it over the music and party chatter.
- Be alert and focused when cooking. It’s easy to get distracted when there is a lot of activity around you. To help minimize the risk of injury, if you’re sleepy or have had an extra glass of eggnog or two, ask others to take over in the kitchen. Or save that glass of wine to have during dinner or after you’ve cleared the table and washed dishes.
- Keep things that can catch fire, such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels away from the cooking area.
- Make sure kids stay at least three feet away from the stove and oven, hot food, and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy, or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Store toys, pocketbooks, and bags in a safe place so you, your guests, and the kids don’t trip near the stove and oven, or on a sharp corner of the counter.
- Move matches and utility lighters out of reach of children.
- Secure cords from electric knives, the coffee maker, plate warmer, mixer, and other cooking equipment at the far end of counters so no one accidentally pulls them off the edge.
Please refer to Carli’s list before your next big kitchen session! Find more fire safety tips and resources on NFPA’s winter holiday page: www.nfpa.org/winterholidaysafety.