Cooking Safety Urged in Preparing Holiday Meals
National statistics show that leaving stoves and burners unattended while cooking is the leading cause of holiday fires, part of the reason why firefighters respond to more incidents during Thanksgiving and Christmas than any other time of year.
The Las Cruces Fire Department reminds holiday chefs to use caution when preparing their holiday feast and recommends following these and other safety tips:
• Start with a clean cooking area and keep the area well maintained.
• Keep the cooking area off limits to children and pets.
• Limit the number of people cooking to avoid crowding and accidents.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing and jewelry that could interfere with cooking.
• Never leave stoves or ovens – indoor or outdoor – unattended. Turn off all burners and other devices when leaving the cooking area.
Deep-frying a turkey is popular but there are unique dangers that come along with this method of cooking and extra precautions should be taken:
• Never use a turkey fryer indoors, in a garage, on a porch or on any other surface that can catch fire. It is recommended you place the fryer a minimum of 10 feet from all surfaces and structures, including walls and fences.
• Ensure the hose connecting the fryer to the propane tank is free from cracks, and long enough to keep the tank and fryer a safe distance away from each other.
• Avoid filling the pot with too much cooking oil as the turkey will displace some oil.
• Be sure that the turkey is completely thawed. Slowly place and remove turkey from fryer. Avoid dropping or quickly removing turkey and wear gloves while using a fryer.
• Do not leave fryer unattended and monitor oil temperature regularly.
• In the event of fire call 911. Avoid using water to extinguish grease or oil fires.
• Follow all directions and safety measures included with the burner and fryer.
LCFD also urges all residents keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to properly use it. For more information on fire safety visit the LCFD Website at www.clcfd.com.
