Fire marshal shares Thanksgiving cooking tips

With Thanksgiving around the corner, Sundance Fire Marshal Chris Tomford is sharing tips on fire safety in the kitchen. It’s important at any time of the year, but especially so during the activity-filled holidays when there are more people in the home than usual.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) advice recommends staying in the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop to keep an eye on the food and not leaving home while the turkey is cooking. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking and most cooking fires involve the stove.

Keep children at least three feet from the stove and away from hot foods and liquids, which could burn them with steam or splash.

Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, bags and pocketbooks and make sure knives, matches and utility lighters are out of the reach of children. Pay attention to electric cords in the kitchen, which shouldn’t be dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.

Test your smoke alarms before the big day by pushing the test button. It can help to have activities for the kids that will keep them out of the kitchen – if they want to get involved with the Thanksgiving preparations, the NFPA recommends choosing recipes that can be completed outside the kitchen.

If you have a small grease cooking fire, you can smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. However, if you have any doubt about fighting a small fire, the NFPA says you should leave the home, close the door behind you to help contain the fire and call 911 from outside the home.