Few Recommendations to Protect Home on Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday is usually a time for families to gather and enjoy good food and hearth. The enjoyment, however, can quickly turn to tragedy if basic safety measures are neglected.

Photo: Few Recommendations to Protect Home on Thanksgiving

Fire Departments across the country keep reminding people that cooking fires can happen at any time, especially on Thanksgiving, without the right safety measures. Statistics from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) show Thanksgiving is the most common day for a cooking fire, with the occurrence of a fire three times more likely than any other day of the year.

In order to prevent the Thanksgiving meal from causing a fire the best thing to do is never leave food cooking on a stove unattended. Food left unattended is the most common cause of house fires in Moultrie, in the state of Georgia and across the country.

In addition to staying with food as it cooks, it's recommended to leave the area around the stove clear of items, such as boxes and containers. Also one should not wear loose-fitting clothes while cooking and not cook while drowsy, tired or after taking medications that can cause drowsiness. Spices used for cooking should not be stored behind a stove to prevent any potential injuries.

Adults must be sure to turn pot handles inside to make sure children can not reach up and pull a pot of hot food down and cook on the rear stove eyes if possible. When opening a pot with a lid on it, one should tip the lid away from themselves to prevent hot steam from escaping directly on them, and use approved pot holders and mitts to handle the pots or pans. The stove is always should be turned off once cooking is completed.

It's highly recommended to check a home’s heating system at least once a year. For electric space heaters, to keep any flammable object, pets and children at least 36 inches from the heater.

For those who use carbon fuel heating sources such as wood-burning fireplaces or kerosene lamps, to fill gas-fueled lamps outside in a well-ventilated area. One should have a licensed chimney sweep check a chimney at least once a year, and make sure all flues and dampers are open before lighting a fire in a fireplace. Use dry, seasoned wood in a fireplace and sould make sure to have a carbon monoxide monitor in the house.

Fire Departments across U.S. encourage everyone to be fire safe this holiday season. The best measure to have a working smoke detector in a house, as smoke detectors double the chance of survival in case of a fire. Having an escape plan, with two ways out of each room in a house, is also essential to proper fire safety, according to The Moultrie Observer's  report.