For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: ben@jgpr.net

Canton Fire Department Offers Holiday Cooking Safety Tips

CANTON — As residents prepare for their Thanksgiving festivities next week, Fire Chief Charles E. Doody and the Canton Fire Department would like to urge everyone to be extra cautious when preparing meals for family and friends.

“Thanksgiving should be a happy time for loved ones to come together and celebrate, and we hope residents will be careful when cooking,” Chief Doody said. “Please consider these tips, and double-check that all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning properly so that you will be notified in the event of an emergency.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the leading day for U.S. home cooking fires and the day before Thanksgiving marks the second-leading day for home cooking fires.

Between 2011 and 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an annual average of 170,200 home structure fires involving cooking equipment, which resulted in 510 civilian fire deaths, 5,470 civilian fire injuries, and $1.2 billion in direct property damage. Unattended cooking was, by far, the leading contributing factor in these fires and fire fatalities.

To avoid tragedy this season, Chief Doody recommends residents follow several safety tips outlined by the NFPA:

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking to keep a close eye on the food, especially when frying and sauteing with oil.
• Use a timer to keep track of cooking times, most notably when preparing a meal for several hours, like roasting a turkey or baking a roast. Check the stove or oven frequently. Consider putting timers in different rooms so that you can hear them over music, football games, and party chatter.
• Stay alert and focused when cooking. To help minimize the risk of injury, avoid cooking when drinking alcohol or if you’re sleepy.
• Keep things that can catch fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers and towels away from the cooking area.
• Kids should stay 3 feet away from stove tops, as well as from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, or gravy could cause serious burns.

Additionally, the NFPA discourages the use of turkey fryers, as the amount and high temperature of the oil used can cause serious burns and injuries, and result in the destruction of property.

Residents who would like more information on holiday cooking safety should contact the Canton Fire Department at 781-821-5095.

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