Gwen Rummell Reporting –
The National Fire Protection Association is urging caution when cooking for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving marks the leading day of the year for home cooking fires with an estimated 1,160 fires reported to fire departments in 2021.
Communications Manager Susan McKelvey says unattended cooking and flammable objects nearby is the leading cause of cooking fires.
“A lot of us have maybe paper towels nearby, oven mitts, just regular towels, [or] maybe food packaging. You really want to make sure that those things, anything that can burn, stay at least 3 feet away from the cooking area.”
Grease fires are also often a cause of cooking fires and those frying should use precautions.
“If you are going to be frying things on the stovetop, make sure that you’ve got a lid nearby, so that in case of a fire, you can carefully slide the lid over the pan to extinguish the fire.”
McKelvey adds that in the case of a grease fire, one should never throw water on a grease fire and use a Class B or K fire extinguisher instead.
In the event of an emergency, all persons should leave the area and contact 911.
For more information on home cooking fires, visit www.nfpa.org.
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