Did you know that the top day each year for fires started by cooking equipment? It seems that the combination of families getting together, alcohol, gravy, wrestling a turkey into an oven and more alcohol add up to accidents that result in kitchen fires.
Our business is based on helping people recover from fires and floods, but that doesn’t mean we wish these accidents on anyone. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a quiet Thanksgiving holiday, and to help achieve that goal, we’ve listed these tips that come to you both from all of us at PDR Inland Empire, and also the NFPA:
- Before you even step foot in the kitchen to cook, make sure your fire alarms are working. Test them and replace the batteries if you’re not sure.
- Don’t leave the kitchen unattended when cooking on the stovetop. Keep an eye on the food as accidents can happen in an instant.
- Is your turkey in the oven? Then don’t leave the house empty. Make sure someone is in the home when its cooking and that they check on it frequently.
- Keep kids out of the kitchen as much as possible during this busy time. Prepare games, puzzles, books or movies to keep them occupied, or get them involved in cooking prep that can be done outside of the kitchen, like topping green beans or shucking corn.
- If you can’t keep them out of the kitchen, make sure kids stay away from the stove. The oven and range will be hot, and children should stay outside a three-foot radius of it.
- The steam and/or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee can cause serious burns, so make sure children stay away from hot food, especially if it is on a buffet table within their reach. Be reminded that a turkey baster is not a toy.
- Keep the kitchen floor clear so that you don’t trip over toys, purses, grocery bags or even those children!
- Fairly obvious, but bears repeating: Keep knives away from children (and guests who have been drinking).
- Watch for loose electric cords! An electric cord dangling off the counter could be very attractive to a child, and one pull could bring an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer, mixer or other appliance down on them.
- Keep matches and lighters in a high cabinet, locked if possible, to keep them away from children.
- Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle or lit chafing dishes. Never leave them alone in the kitchen with food cooking in the oven or on the stove.
If your sister’s five-year-old son manages to flood the bathroom while you’re basting the turkey, or if the dog knocks over a candle and sets the curtains on fire, give us a call. And please, don’t try to deep fry your turkey without the proper equipment, including footwear. We can get your house back the way it was before Thanksgiving’s accidents happened, but we can’t do skin grafts.
So keep our number on hand this holiday season: (877) 732-8471. When household accidents turn into disasters, we are here to help you get your life back on track and your home back to its original state. Happy Thanksgiving! Have a safe and wonderful day. We have a lot to be thankful for, and thank all of our clients for their custom.