How to prevent Thanksgiving kitchen fires
DELAFIELD, Wis. — If you have watched TV news or scrolled social media in recent decades, you have probably seen videos of what happens when you deep fry a turkey incorrectly. Putting a turkey in while still frozen can lead to a major fire.
While turkey fryer issues often capture the headlines, they are far from the only type of fire risk on Thanksgiving.
What You Need To Know
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the number one day for home fires in the United States, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve
In 2023, there were 1,446 cooking fires reported on Thanksgiving, a 388% increase compared to a typical non-holiday
Avoiding distractions while cooking a holiday meal can go a long way, fire officials said
Lt. Angove said with some many dishes often being cooked at once, grease fires can be a big risk on Thanksgiving. He said knowing how to properly respond to a grease fire can be the difference between a fire that can be quickly dealt with and one that causes serious damage and/or injuries
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the number one day for home fires in the United States, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. In 2023, there were 1,446 cooking fires reported on Thanksgiving, a 388% increase compared to a typical non-holiday.
Bryce Bischel is a firefighter and critical care paramedic with Lake Country Fire and Rescue in Delafield. Bischel, who can often be found cooking at the firehouse, said he and his fellow firefighters have fun while preparing meals, but are always careful to avoid distractions and stay focused.
“People kind of take safety for granted in the kitchen, but a fire can really get out of hand and get dangerous when people panic,” said Bischel.
Lake Country Fire and Rescue Lieutenant David Angove said cooking is the top cause of home fires, and given how much people are cooking on Thanksgiving, it is no surprise to him that home fires rise on Thanksgiving.
Angove said avoiding distractions while cooking a holiday meal can go a long way.
“People will start something on the stove, walk away for 10 minutes, come back and the stove is on fire. We always tell people the biggest way to avoid that is to not leave things unattended,” said Angove.
Angove said with some many dishes often being cooked at once, grease fires can be a big risk on Thanksgiving. He said knowing how to properly respond to a grease fire can be the difference between a fire that can be quickly dealt with and one that causes serious damage and/or injuries.
“When a grease fire does occur in a pan or a turkey fryer, a lot of people’s gut reaction is to spray with water. With grease fires, that does not work. Water just splashes the grease everywhere and makes the fire even bigger,” said Angove, “The key to that situation is knowing what to do if there is a grease fire, it is not put water on it; it is to cover it in a lid with a pot, or put a fire blanket on it if it is not in a pot.”
To learn more about Thanksgiving fire safety tips, you can visit the NFPA’s website.
