You want to do all you can to get ready for Thanksgiving. You may be doing a lot of cooking and baking. Family and friends may be heading your way for the holiday. A little bit of planning can go a long way to make sure everything remains safe.
The National Fire Protection Agency finds Thanksgiving as one of the top holidays where home fires occur. It doesn’t matter whether you are a homeowner or a renter. You want to make sure that you are doing everything as safe as possible.
You may be cooking the turkey and lots of different side dishes. This may require working on a significant number of things at once. There may also be a lot of people crowding around trying to help you. Focusing on organization is important.
Here are 4 safety tips that you can follow to help prevent fires:
The Oven: One of the most important is to stay in the kitchen at all times when you are cooking on the stove top. This will allow you to keep an eye on food and ensure that nothing is boiling over or burning.
Children: If there are children around, be sure that they are at least 3 feet away from the stove area. Turn handles in so that they cannot bump into them. Coffee, gravy, and steam from vegetables can cause serious burns. Kids need to be educated about this. You also want to make sure that they keep toys out of the kitchen so that you do not trip over them.
Electric Cords: Electrical cords need to be managed in the kitchen as well. You may have various kitchen electronics including mixers, coffee makers, plate warmers, and more. Ensure that the cords are tucked on the backside of the counter. Dangling cords can become a hazard when kids or pets pull them down.
Smoke Alarms: You also want to make sure you test your smoke alarms prior to doing any kind of cooking on Thanksgiving. There is a test button that you can push. If it doesn’t work, you will want to replace the batteries.
Most importantly enjoy time spent with family and friends. Be thankful for all that you have been blessed with. Have a safe and memorable Thanksgiving!