For millions of people, this is the season of friends and good food. Unfortunately, the holiday season also tends to bring up less joyous outcomes: holiday kitchen fires.
Do you know the top reason for home fires? Yup, you guessed it: cooking.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 43% of home fires start in the kitchen. Just think about that stat for a second. Almost HALF are started in the kitchen! Now that the holidays are upon us, here are a few tips to keep your kitchen safe this holiday season.
Kitchen Safety Tips
These four tips are from the National Fire Protection Association and should be kept in mind as you gather together for your Thanksgiving meal this week.
Stay alert
Stay on your toes and be alert! If you start to feel the tryptophan kick in, or you have consumed alcohol please do not use the stove or stovetop. You wouldn’t drive tired or inebriated, so why play with fire while under the influence or tired?
Stay close
Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling or broiling food. Just having your stove a few degrees hotter can start a fire in a blink of an eye. Make sure you’re there just in case.
Stir often
Not only is this a good cooking tip for flavor and consistency, but if you are simmering, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you have food on the stove or in the oven.
Create a safe zone
Keep the flammable materials like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, or towels away from your stovetop. With more people in your kitchen, it’s easy to lose track of things so have a rule, “keep the flammables away.”
With these tips in mind, everyone here at Chase Clarke Stewart & Fontana wishes you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. Cheers!
Posted in News, Safety Tips