Halloween is over, and that means Thanksgiving is the next holiday on our radar. This time of year is always special, thanks to spending time with family and lots of wonderful food. Although Thanksgiving is still nearly a month away, we thought it would be a good time to remind you of some safety tips that will help your family stay safe during this upcoming holiday season. Our goal at Wetzel Insurance is to safeguard, grow, & protect what matters most, and we hope this blog helps you do that.
The American Red Cross has released some shocking facts about cooking fires. Their research found that cooking is the leading cause of home fires, and not only on Thanksgiving Day, but throughout the rest of the year as well. They also stated that there are twice as many cooking-related fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day in the year. More lives are lost and damage inflicted by these Thanksgiving house fires, than on any other day during the year. However, there are steps you can take to try to prevent a dangerous and destructive fire. Here are a few suggestions to help keep you safe:
1. Don’t leave any cooking unattended.
This applies, especially for cooking that is done on the stovetop, such as frying, grilling, or boiling. If you are cooking something that takes a good deal of time, just make sure you check on it regularly. Also, never leave your home if you have food cooking. You woudn’t be able to respond if something were to happen. Don’t forget to use a timer, since it is easy to forget about the food in the oven. Burning food is a common cause of fire. If you are planning on frying a turkey, do it outside and away from anything that could be flammable.
2. Keep the area clear.
If you plan on having children in your home during the Thanksgiving holiday, set up a kid-free zone around the stove. This will prevent children from potentially getting burned on hot surfaces. If you have guests in your home that get injured, there could be a liability against you. Another great idea is to make sure you clean up any paper, bags, towels, curtains, and wooden utensils that are near your stove. These are all common sources and causes of cooking fires. We recommend you avoid wearing clothing that is loose or has dangling sleeves, since these can increase the risk of fire.
3. Smoke Alarms
Make sure you have smoke alarms throughout your house, and especially in your Kitchen. Battery test your smoke alarms regularly, as this could possibly save lives. If you are leaving your house during Thanksgiving (or for any other reason), go through each room and confirm that the oven is turned off, that there are no lit candles, and that that curling irons are unplugged. Many home fires could be prevented if more people performed these safety checks before leaving their house.
We hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving season! You never want to have to call your homeowners insurance agent on Thanksgiving Day because of a disaster. Take a few extra minutes to take these steps and this will greatly reduce the risk of you having a house fire this holiday season.
