With
Thanksgiving just around the corner, the American Red Cross Central Valley
Region encourages families to prevent kitchen fires by taking some basic safety
measures. In the U.S.
We all think
of Thanksgiving as a time for family, good food and football, but it’s also
prime time for cooking fires. Taking a few simple precautions can help everyone
have a safe and happy holiday.
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Keep anything that can catch fire—potholders, wooden utensils, food wrappers or towels away from your stove top.
- Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove.
- Turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents.
Follow safety tips year round
Install smoke
alarms on every level of the house and inside bedrooms. Replace smoke alarm
batteries at least once a year. Test each alarm monthly by pushing the test
button.
Create and
practice a first escape plan. Ensure that household members know two ways to
escape from every room.
If a fire
occurs in your home, get out, stay out and call 9-1-1. Crawl low under smoke
and stop, drop and roll if your clothes should catch fire.
