(WHDH) — With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, the National Fire Prevention Agency is reminding the public of the dangers that turkey fryers present.
“Keeping fire safety top of mind in the kitchen during this joyous but hectic time is important, especially when there’s a lot of activity and people at home,” the agency said.
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, along with Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve, according to researchers.
Cooking equipment, including turkey fryers, were involved in almost half of all reported home fires and injuries, and it is the second leading cause of deaths, according to the agency.
While the NFPA strongly discourages the use of turkey fryers, they did offer the following safety tips:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
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