Thanksgiving is once again upon us, and across the country we are beginning to see pumpkin bread and cinnamon being stalked on the grocery store shelves with a background of holiday music. While the holidays provide a great time for family bonding and good food, studies have shown that more home insurance claims are made on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year, and this is primarily caused by kitchen fires. There are some simple tips that can be followed to reduce your risk becoming part of this disturbing statistic this holiday season.
Don’t Leave Food Unattended
One of the most common kitchen fire causes is that, with so much going on, Thanksgiving cooks often leave food unattended to deal with other activities. It is important to remain in the kitchen at all times. If the cook must leave the room, the heat should be turned off of anything on the stove or in the broiler.
Clean Your Workspace
The stove is a busy area during Thanksgiving Day. It is the workspace of the cook for the day. Just as an office employee benefits from organization on his or her desk, it is necessary for the cook to keep the area around the stove tidy. Many fires are started as a result of a potholder or other flammable object coming into contact with the stove flames.
Equipment Check
About a week before the holiday, it is strongly encouraged for those hosting a Thanksgiving meal to replace smoke detector batteries. An added measure of making a fire extinguisher readily available can also save a house in the event of a fire.
Proper Grease Disposal
Thanksgiving cooking involves a lot of grease, and we typically try to remove as much of it as possible. Hundreds of people, however, make the crucial mistake of throwing hot grease in the trash. While this normally causes no problems, there is the chance it could catch something on fire. Rather, it is good practice to allow the grease to cool off and then store it in a container.
We at [astCompanyName] hope these tips help you survive a joyous holiday season with no risk of house fire.
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