As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, the Wichita Fire Department (WFD) is reminding residents that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. Following are safety tips to help prevent these fires.
- Be on the alert! Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food.
- Turn off the stove, if you leave the kitchen.
- If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check on food regularly• Use a timer to help remind you when to turn off burners and stoves.
- Keep items that can catch fire - such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towel and clothing - away from the stovetop.
- Have a kid-free zone of at least three feet around the stove and in areas where hot food or containers are present.
- If you are going to use a turkey fryer, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations (Never use a fryer in or near your home.)
- Make certain turkey is completely thawed before placing in the fryer. A partially thawed turkey will cause the oil to splatter, potentially causing serious burns.
Also, turkey fryers require a lot of oil. Considering the size and weight of the turkey, as extreme caution must be taken when placing and removing the turkey from the fryer to be sure it is not dropped back into the fryer, splattering the oil on the chef and possible ignition of the hot oil.
If you have a fire, call 9-1-1 immediately. Have an escape plan and get family members to previous identified meeting place. Don’t forget to close doors on the way out. If you try to fight the fire, use a lid for the container you are cooking in. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. For a fire inside the oven, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
For additional information or questions regarding fire safety, please call the WFD at 268-4441, visit our website at Wichita.gov, or check us out on Face Book.