Kitchen Cautions

10/26/2017 (Permalink)

Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. The leading cause? Unattended cooking. It's important to be alert to prevent cooking fires.

Families gather in November for Thanksgiving and spend time preparing a delicious feast, but it you don't practice safe cooking habits, your holiday could become hazardous very quickly. According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. The leading cause? Unattended cooking. 

It's important to be alert to prevent cooking fires.

• Be on alert! 
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food.
• If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that catch fire away from the stove top - such as oven mitts, towels, curtains, wooden utensils, food packaging, etc.

If you have a cooking fire, consider the following safety protocols to help keep you and your family safe. 

• Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
• For an oven fire, keep the door closed and turn off the heat.
• Keep a lid nearby when your cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stove-top. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

Five Dangers of Deep Frying a Turkey

A deep-fried is turkey delicious, but worth it? if you've seen any of the numerous videos of turkey fryer explosions and fires online, you may have asked yourself this question before. Running the risk of bodily injury or property damage is something to consider when menu planning this holiday season. 

• Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area.
• An overfilled cooking pot will cause cooking oil to spill when the turkey is put in, and a partially frozen turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when put in the pot. 
• Even a small amount of cooking oil spilling on a hot burner can cause a large fire.
• Without thermostat controls, deep fryers can overheat oil to the point of starting a fire.
• The sides of the cooking pot, lid, and pot handles can get dangerously hot.

November is Military Family Month

SERVPRO of Dane County West would like to thank all service members and their families during Military Family Month and all year-round. These families have made numerous sacrifices to support their military service member, and we acknowledge their dedication.  November 11 is also Veterans Day.  Thanks to all veterans and active duty military, who have fought for our freedom, and those who have lost their lives fighting for their country. We salute you! 

If your home or business suffers fire or smoke damage, contact SERVPRO of Dane County West to make it "Like it never even happened."

24/7 Emergency Services, #608-497-3331

http://www.SERVPROdanecountywest.com/fire-damage-tips

SERVPRO of Dane County West wish you a safe and happy holiday season!