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Community Corner

Cooking Tips: Cooking Fires Most Common on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the busiest day for fires according to the Loudoun County Fire Department.

Despite the food, fun and festivities on Thanksgiving, it’s also the day of the year when cooking fires are most likely, according a press release from the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management. The agency has offered the following tips to help everyone stay safe through the food-centered holiday: 

  • Stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the stove, even if just leaving the kitchen for a short period of time.

  • Keep the cooking range free of clutter. Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains – away from the stovetop.

  • In case of a grease fire, turn off the burner and put a lid on the fire. Do not pour water on a grease fire; pouring water on a grease fire can cause it to spread.

  • In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and close the oven door.

  • Never put a glass casserole dish or lid on the stove or over a burner; it could cause an explosion if it reaches a certain temperature and send dangerous shards of glass in all directions.

  • Avoid using a turkey fryer. The National Fire Protection Association currently discourages the use of outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers that immerse the turkey in hot oil. Use of these fryers can lead to devastating injuries, burns and the loss of property.

  • Never wear loose-fitting clothing when cooking; it can ignite and catch fire. Wear short or close fitting sleeves.

  • Turn pot handles away so that young children cannot reach a cooking pot and accidently get burned.

  • Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Most home fires begin in the kitchen because food is left unattended.

  • In case of a cooking fire, just get out; then call 9-1-1! Close the door to help contain the fire.

More information about fire safety is online at www.loudoun.gov/fire.

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