Stay Safe While Cooking, Here's Some Holiday Safety Tips

Since it seems like 2020 has gone up in flames anyway, there's some tips that you can follow to make sure that your holiday meals don't end up the same way.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has once again released some tips to make sure you are cooking safely this holiday season. Because according to them, "tis the season to be safe."

Did you know that cooking fires are the #1 cause of residential fires in the US? That means a lot of people haven't been paying attention or did something unsafe while cooking.

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An average of 1,700 cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day each year, more than three times the average number on any other day of the year, and in the last two decades, there were 220 fire or scald/burn incidents involving turkey fryers, resulting in 81 injuries and $9.7 million in property loss.

So you don't end up like those people, here's some tips you can follow:

Never leave cooking food unattended on the stove.
Keep children away from the cooking area, and keep flammable items, like potholders and paper or plastic bags, away from the stove and oven.
Only fry a turkey outside and away from your home–not inside your garage, or on your porch. Do not overfill the oil in the turkey fryer and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on use, including thawing your turkey thoroughly and maintaining control of the oil temperature.

Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing.
Turn pan handles towards the back of the range.
Have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
If a pan catches on fire, cover it with a lid to smother the flames or use a fire extinguisher. Never use flour or water to put out a pan fire.
Make sure you have a smoke alarm on every level of your home, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas.

Good news: 911 is always available!