Cooking Fires

As we approach Thanksgiving it is time to start thinking about safety. We sometime take it for granted that it will all be ok at our homes. We have more people over, we have more things going on and we sometimes overlook the small thinks.

Cooking is the leading cause of home structure fires according to research conducted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. For a holiday everyone can enjoy and throughout the year, remind your tenants to follow these ten safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association.

• STAY IN THE KITCHEN when you are cooking on the stove top 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 & 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 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 ARE WORKING. Test them by pushing the button.

Stay safe and enjoy your time with family and friend.

Darren