Score more points this year by putting kitchen fire safety in your line upWhether you cheer for the Patriots or the Eagles or maybe just watch for the half time show and commercials, the Super Bowl has become an American holiday. Share the information below to keep your communities safe. Super Bowl Sunday is the USA’s second biggest day for food consumption. That means a lot of time spent planning and preparing game day snacks. Before you kick off your menu, take a look at these tips for safer cooking.
Kitchen Huddle Prepare your cooking area. Use back burners or turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Move things that can burn away from the stove. Keep a timer handy and use it when you’re roasting or baking.
Penalty Flag Frying poses the greatest risk of fire. Keep an eye on what you fry. Start with a small amount of oil and heat it slowly. If you see smoke or if the grease starts to boil in your pan, turn the burner off. Even a small amount of oil on a hot burner can start a fire.
Defense Stay awake and alert while you’re cooking. Stand by your pan. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off. Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet nearby in case you need to smother a pan fire.
Illegal Contact Prevent burns when you’re cooking. Wear short sleeves, or roll them up. Don’t lean over the burner. Use potholders and oven mitts to handle hot or steaming cookware.
Defensive Linemen Children need constant adult supervision. If you have young children in the home, keep them three feet from anything that can get hot, including the stove. Put hot objects and liquids beyond a child’s reach so they can’t touch or pull them down. Never hold a child when you cook.
Touchdown! Keep safety in mind when serving on game day too. If you burn candles, position them out of reach of children and away from anything that can burn. Consider using flameless candles that are lit by battery power instead. Food warmers and slow cookers get hot. Place them toward the back of the serving table so they won’t get knocked off. Provide hot pads to prevent burns. Light the chafing dish fuel can after it is placed under the warmer. Make sure nothing comes in contact with the flame. If young children are in your home, supervise them and keep matches and lighters locked away.
For additional fire safety and burn prevention information, visit USFA online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/cooking.html. Follow USFA on Twitter at @USfire and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usfire.
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http://woodtv.com/2017/12/06/tips-for-preventing-a-christmas-tree-fire/
The most wonderful time of the year is also the most likely time of the year for house fires. A fire hazard may be right in front of you in the form of a well-decorated Christmas tree.
“Christmas tree fires are…a fast, fast fire,” said Todd Kowalski, Kalamazoo Township fire marshal.
A simple spark can turn a dry Christmas tree into a torch in just 12 seconds, according to a demonstration by the National Fire Protection Association. The same study showed how a Christmas tree fire can engulf an entire room in flames in less than 30 seconds.
The results can be just as harrowing in real life. Firefighters say a faulty electrical connection in a Christmas tree is to blame for a fire that destroyed a home in Hartford earlier this week. The two people who were asleep inside the house when the fire sparked escaped unharmed when a passerby saw the flames and pounded on their door.
To keep your season merry, the Consumer Product Safety Commission provided these Christmas tree tips:
- Fresh, watered trees are much less likely to catch fire. So when buying a tree, look for branches with vibrant, green needles that don’t come off the branch easily.
- Make sure your tree is at least three feet from any heat source, like a fireplace, heat vent or candle.
- Water your tree daily.
- If you buy an artificial tree, make sure it’s labeled “fire resistant.”
“People forget once they go out and cut that tree or buy the tree off the lot, they forget to cut the two inches off the bottom of the tree,” Kowalski added. “That allows the water and kind of everything to soak up through the tree.”
Kowalski said it doesn’t take much to set off a major house fire.
“It’s just a spark,” he said. “Especially if you get a dried-out tree, something that’s been sitting around for a while, something that’s been baking over the top of a furnace register or next to a fireplace, it dries them out even quicker, and it’s off to the races at that point.”
Firefighters also recommend that you have working smoke detectors.
The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially during the holidays. From testing family recipes to decorating cakes and cookies, everyone enjoys being part of the preparations. Kids especially love to be involved in holiday preparations. However, safety in the kitchen is important, especially when there is a lot of activity and people at home.
As you start preparing your holiday schedule and organizing that large family feast, remember to play it safe! E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety offers a few simple tips so you can enjoy time with your loved ones and keep yourself and your family safer from fire.
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop or cooking your turkey so you can keep an eye on the food and check on it frequently.
- Keep kids away from the stove. Maintain a three-foot kid free zone away from things that are hot and can burn (the stove, oven, microwave, or food).
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy, or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time. Games, puzzles, or books can keep them busy. Kids can get involved in preparations with recipes that can be done outside the kitchen.
- Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the oven or stovetop.
- Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pets, pocketbooks, or bags.
- Keep knives, utility lighters, and matches out of the reach of children. Place these tools up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children or pets alone in a room with a lit candle. When you leave the room, extinguish the candle.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working and are located on every level of your home. Test them by pushing the test button, replace batteries annually and replace alarms every 10 years.
- Never place smoke alarms in the kitchen or immediately outside the bathroom where cooking odors or steam from the shower can cause nuisance activations.
- Keep exits clear and accessible. In case of a fire, everyone in the home needs immediate access to the closest exit leading outside.
If your family needs a new smoke alarm and you are unable to obtain one, contact your local fire department or e-mail [email protected] to learn about the Operation Save A Life smoke alarm installation program close to Where You Live!
Lt. Michael McLeieer, founder of E.S.C.A.P.E., joined Ken Lanphear on WKZO AM 590 this morning and shared some fire and injury prevention safety tips during the Thanksgiving Holiday!
The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at Thanksgiving. From testing family recipes to decorating cakes and cookies, everyone enjoys being part of the preparations. Kids especially love to be involved in holiday preparations. However, safety in the kitchen is important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there is a lot of activity and people at home.
According to the United States Fire Administration, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires and frying food increases the risk. The average number of reported home fires in the United States on Thanksgiving Day is more than double the average number of home fires on all other days. According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings occurred most frequently from noon to 3 p.m., when many people most likely were preparing Thanksgiving dinner. These fires then declined throughout the evening.
As you start preparing your holiday schedule and organizing that large family feast, remember to play it safe! E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety offers a few simple tips so you can enjoy time with your loved ones and keep yourself and your family safer from fire.
Turkey:
If you are roasting your turkey, make sure you set a timer. This way, you won’t forget about the bird as you watch the parade or football game.
Deep frying a turkey may be delicious but it also can be dangerous. If you are frying your turkey,
- Use a fryer with thermostat controls. This will ensure the oil does not become over heated
- Thaw your turkey completely. Ice on the bird will cause the oil to splatter
- Don’t overfill the pot with oil. If you do, the oil will overflow when you add the turkey causing a fire hazard
- Keep children and pets at least 3-feet away from the fryer to protect against burn injuries
- Also, always use the fryer outdoors on a sturdy, level surface away from things that can burn.
Stuffing and Potatoes:
Stand by your stove when you are boiling your potatoes or frying onions for the stuffing. It’s best to stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling or broiling. If you are in the kitchen, it’s easier to catch spills or hazardous conditions before they become a fire.
Vegetables:
- Keep the area around the stove clear of packaging, paper towels, and dish cloths; anything that can burn
- Be sure to clean up any spills as they happen
- Be prepared! Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet handy in case you need to smother a pan fire
- Turn pot handles towards the back of the stove so you don’t bump them
By following these safety tips, you will have a delicious and fire safe Thanksgiving Where You Live! Remember to let the firefighters have dinner with their families, not yours.