Prevent Cooking Fires This Thanksgiving!

Cooking for the holidays can be fun, challenging and delicious! However, accidents often result from flare-ups during food preparation or as a result of oven, burner or electrical and gas connection defects. To keep injuries out of the kitchen when you prepare holiday meals, remember these fire prevention and safety techniques.

Use these fire prevention techniques when you are cooking:

Wear tight-fitting clothing that cannot drape over flames or into pans.	If you have long hair, tie it back.	Do not place oven mitts, hand towels or hot pads on or near the range.	When you are done cooking a meal, double-check to make sure that all appliances are turned off.
Unplug portable appliances when they are not in use.	When cooking on your range, turn on the vent hood fan to minimize any smoking.	Stay home while cooking anything. Don’t leave stove unattended.	If your gas range does not light on its own, be extremely careful when lighting it.

If The Event of a Fire:

Turn off the gas or electrical appliance that is fueling the flames, if possible.

If the fire is in a pan on your range, cover the pan with its lid or a baking sheet. If this does not work, use a fire extinguisher or sprinkle baking soda on the pan.

If you are cooking with oil and it catches fire, DO NOT pour water on the flaming pan. This will make the fire worse.

Never place metal dishes or tin foil into the microwave, since it can cause sparking. If your microwave does spark without metal inside, turn it off and unplug it.

Appliances that spark or give you shocks may be defective and in need of immediate repair. Contact the appliance’s manufacturer for repair information.

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