Did you know the average number of house fires on Thanksgiving Day is more than double the average number of house fires on all other days of the year? Yes, says the City of Snoqualmie.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), each year from 2011 to 2013, an estimated 2,100
house fires were reported on Thanksgiving Day, causing 28 million in property loss, 50 injuries and 10 deaths.
Blame it on the cooking says FEMA – or possibly the deep fryers. Cooking was by far the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings at 72 percent – and occurred more often on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.
So…for a safe holiday, the Snoqualmie Fire Department urges community members to practice the following cooking safety and traveling tips.
COOKING SAFETY TIPS
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burners off.
- Use a thermostat control for deep fryers. Fires start when the heat is too high. See the dangers in this video.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Then no one can bump them or pull them over.
- Keep a portable fire extinguisher nearby.
- Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby. Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will help put out the fire.
- Prevent burns. Wear short sleeves or roll them up.
- Test smoke alarms. Make sure they are working properly.
Turkey Deep Fryer Safety Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kspx1oOP_fE
TRAVELING SAFETY TIPS
It looks like the Thanksgiving weekend weather should be sunny to party cloudy and chilly – so no big worries if you’re traveling around Western Washington or Snoqualmie Pass.
But just in case, it never hurts to plan ahead for bad weather, especially for long trips.
- Install good winter tires. Make sure they have adequate tread.
- Sign up for emergency road service through your auto insurance carrier or AAA.
- Keep your gas tank full. Traffic congestion uses more fuel.
- Do not drive through a flooded roadway. Six inches of water can cause a vehicle to lose control and possibly stall. A foot of water can float a car.
- Create an emergency kit: jumper cables, flashlights, extra batteries, first aid kit, non-perishable food, water, radio, ice scraper, extra change of warm clothes, blankets, and cell phone car charger.
