Keep your kitchen safe and sound for the holidays

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — On average, there are twice as many fires on Thanksgiving than any other day. You can protect your family and friends by following these safety tips.

“Nationwide and within the City of Roanoke, we see a higher call volume in cooking fires, especially around the holiday season,” said Kristen Perdue of Roanoke Fire-EMS. “Everyone’s in there making their good sweet potato casseroles and turkeys that they have, but we can also see an increase in burns as well.”

In order to guarantee your holiday feast doesn’t go up in flames, test your smoke alarms, keep a fire extinguisher nearby, practice an emergency escape plan, and follow these tips from the American Red Cross.

• Clean the stove and oven, and clear away any flammable items before turning on the heat.
• Avoid wearing loose or dangling sleeves or accessories while cooking.
• Never leave cooking food unsupervised, but if you must leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.
• Keep kids and pets at least three feet away from the stove.
• Avoid accidental bumping by turning pot handles toward the back of the stove.
• If you see smoke or boiling grease when frying food, turn the burner off and carefully remove the pan from the burner.
• If a pan catches on fire, cover it with a lid or cookie sheet and leave it covered until the pan has completely cooled.
• If the stove or oven is on, use a timer as a reminder.
• Double check the kitchen after dinner to make sure all appliances are turned off.

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