Kitchen fire safety during the most dangerous week of cooking

As you prepare for Thanksgiving, fire preparation should be on your mind as you prepare to cook because Thanksgiving is the “peak day” for home cooking fires, according to the National Fire Prevention Association.

As family and friends gather to celebrate the day of thanks, many get caught up in the festivities and become distracted, pulling them away from the task at hand.

“People get busy, they get distracted and it’s easy to forget that you have something on the stove. And so cooking fires are the leading causes of fires on Thanksgiving. They account almost three times what we would normally see,” Kim Stouse of the Pocatello Fire Department explained.

Unattended cooking is the number one cause of these incidents.

When it comes to home fires and injuries, cooking equipment is to blame for nearly half.

People often make mistakes while attempting to fight the fire themselves. For example, putting water on an oil fire. Stouse said that everyone should have a fire extinguisher at the ready and know how to use it.

These fires often cause lots of damage, even small ones, due to the soot spread and water damage from extinguishing it.

Tyler Hargis, owner of Servpro of Blackfoot & Pocatello, said that while his business is cleaning up after fires, he’d much rather see people practice safe habits and prevent fires.

“This is a good time to be together with friends and family, just be safe, take the extra precautions to prevent a fire…I would rather see people prevent them than have them,” he said.

In an effort to prevent fires and injuries, those preparing the food are encouraged to stay near the food at all times, especially the turkey, and to check on it regularly.

You are also encouraged to ensure your smoke alarms are working and to call 911 if you need assistance.