Thanksgiving brings together the whole family, with some relaxing in front of the TV, watching the parade and football, and others busy cooking our traditional dinner complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, macaroni, and broccoli-and-cheese casserole. But as a safety engineer and a longtime career and volunteer firefighter, I’ve spent my life studying fire safety and even when I’m celebrating with my family, I can’t help but notice little things that make a big difference during holiday gatherings.
Thanksgiving is a time when every burner on the stove is lit, candles are often glowing, and logs may be roaring in the fireplace. It might be no surprise that cooking accidents are the leading cause of residential fires. And with a turkey in every oven (or fryer or smoker), the National Fire Protection Association says the number of fires on Thanksgiving Day is typically 240% above average.
Contributing to that massive uptick in fires: many people are unprepared. According to UL Standards & Engagement’s Holiday Safety Guide, 25% of the holiday cooks we surveyed say they don’t have a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, 35% have removed or disabled their smoke alarm at some point, and 10% admit to not testing, or not knowing how to test their alarm.
As the holidays approach, I have a few firefighter’s tips for a safer celebration:
- Test smoke alarms frequently, especially ahead of holiday events. To test, press and hold the test button. If you hear a loud, piercing sound, you’ll know it’s ready to alert you in the event of smoke or fire.
- Have a fire extinguisher ready in your kitchen (one certified to standards like UL 711) and know how to use it. Click here for info on how.
- Make sure someone is always in the kitchen and that nothing on the stove is ever left unattended — even when Grandma or your favorite cousin knocks on the door.
- Paper towels, dish towels, and empty boxes can be a fire hazard, so clean as you go and don’t let them accumulate on the countertop around the stove.
- Keep candles away from anything combustible. Better yet, use electric candles or holiday-themed air fresheners instead, especially with small kids or rambunctious pets in the house.
- If you’re a guest in someone else’s home, make sure you know where the exits are.
- There’s no shortage of news reports on home fires that were started by propane-fired, oil-filled turkey deep fryers. I’m no fan of these, but if you are set on fried turkey, follow all safety instructions and cook it at a safe distance away from your house and anything flammable.
- If Thanksgiving is the day you start stringing holiday lights, make sure they are certified to UL 588, and that they don’t have any frayed wires or visible damage before you plug them in.
- Finally, if a fire does happen, get everyone out of the house immediately and have someone call 911 while you use the extinguisher. Don’t hesitate — fire trucks can always turn around if not needed.
Thanksgiving is about celebrating with people you love, and a few precautions can make your gathering memorable for all the right reasons.
