While COVID-19 has changed many of our holiday plans, it is important to continue to protect yourself from cooking fires — which typically peak on Thanksgiving. That’s why the American Red Cross is encouraging everyone to brush up on their home fire prevention steps prior to the holiday, so you can enjoy your Thanksgiving feast safely.
5 Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips:
- Keep an eye on what you fry! Never leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Move items that can burn away from the stove. This includes dishtowels, bags, boxes, paper and curtains. Also keep children and pets at least three feet away.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing while cooking.
- When frying food, turn the burner off if you see smoke or if the grease starts to boil. Carefully remove the pan from the burner.
- Keep a pan lid or a cookie sheet nearby. Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will put out the fire. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
The Red Cross also advises people to test their smoke alarms and practice their home fire escape plan until everyone in their household can get out in two minutes or less. Visit redcross.org/homefires for more information and free resources, or download the free Red Cross Emergency App.