Local fire department discusses fire safety ahead of Thanksgiving Day cooking
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) - Thanksgiving is the No.1 day for home cooking fires in the U.S., especially when food is left unattended or fryers are used improperly. In 2023, cooking accounted for the majority of U.S. home fires on Thanksgiving Day at 80% with 40% civilian injuries.
Now local fire departments are sharing the best practices for cooking at home and what they see in the Coachella Valley. Cooking is especially a concern during Thanksgiving as kitchens are usually crowded as everyone helps. With the fire and burn risk from hot stove and ovens running, firefighters want to make sure residents are prepared.
Cathedral City says it continues to see fires during holidays, especially Thanksgiving. They can see anywhere between zero to six fires during the holiday, a spike they expect each year.
"Residents cook every single day. I don't know what it is about Thanksgiving or the holidays," Battalion Chief Dyjuan Washington said. "I think people are just tired and over fatigued and trying to do too much.”
Frying the turkey is the most common issue Cathedral City sees, typically due to adding too much oil to the base or forgetting to defrost the turkey. Battalion Chief Washington said a frozen turkey causes excess water to expand in the oil, causing an quick overflow of the contents and a fire.
Another issue they typically see is forgetting to remove the neck and gizzards from the turkey or leaving food unattended while cooking. All fires they say are easily preventable and they ask residents to be extra cautious this Thanksgiving.
"Take your time. Make sure you allow enough time to actually prep your items," Battalion Chief Washington said. "Make sure you're paying attention to the details and follow the recipe.”
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear what you can do to stay safe while cooking this Thanksgiving.
