November 26, 2010
Friday

Ketchikan, Alaska - The kitchen is a very busy place is very busy during the holiday season.  Because of all the excitement with family, cooking, and celebration, it’s important we recognize the potential for increased fire risks.

According to information provided by the Ketchikan Fire Department, in 2008, firefighters nationwide responded to more than 1,300 cooking-related house fires during the Thanksgiving holiday.  These fires resulted in more than 400 needless deaths.

One of the biggest problems is people using deep fat fryers to cook their turkeys during the holidays. “People often don't know how to use them properly and they don't read the directions.  When an accident happens, they are not prepared.  They put their property, themselves, and their guests or family at risk.  One of the problems seen nationally is people will drop the turkey in the extremely hot oil not realizing there's ice and water inside the turkey.  This can cause a very violent steam explosion (boil-over), sending extremely hot oil out of the pot. This can cause serious burn injuries and/or fire.”

The Ketchikan Fire Department offers the following cooking tips:

1. Don't wear loose clothing near the stove, and turn pot and pan handles “IN”so kids can't pull them off the stove.
2. Always keep a fire extinguisher nearby.  Baking soda will also do the trick but be sure not to use baking powder.  That could cause an explosion.
3. If you do have a stovetop fire, cover pan flames with a lid, turn off the burner, and extinguish any fire outside the pan.
4. NEVER use water on grease fires; if it splashes, it could spread the flames.
5. Don't leave the room while cooking, and use deep fat fryers with caution.

As we enter into the Holiday Seasons begin... holidays are supposed to be happy and safe.  Take a few minutes and check your residence for fire and safety hazards.  The Ketchikan Fire Department has free information available that can help you avoid a fire and help you and your family stay safe this holiday season.

For more information about fire safety you can also visit these websites:

www.akburny.com   
http://www.city.ketchikan.ak.us/departments/Fire/firetips.html
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/index.shtm
www.nfpa.org

Source of News:

Ketchikan Fire Department

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