Did you know that Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment? Safety in the kitchen is extremely important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there is a lot of activity and people at home.
Pine Bluff Fire & Emergency Services would like to offer the following safety tips in an effort to prevent tragic fires, and make this Thanksgiving Day a fire-safe and festive occasion:
Stay in the kitchen when you're cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
Keep children away from the stove. Kids should stay 3 feet away from stove.
Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
Keep the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
Keep knives out of the reach of children.
Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children - up high in a locked cabinet.
Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangling onto stove burners and catch fire if it comes into contact with a gas flame or electric burner.
Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
(Source: Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services)