It’s Fire Prevention Week: Charge Into Safety E.S.C.A.P.E., E.S.C.A.P.E. 30 Years, Fire Prevention Month, Safety, WXMI Fox 17,
06
Oct 2025

Each year, FOX 17 teams up with E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc. to highlight the Fire Prevention Week campaign.

This year’s theme is Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home. The main focus is learning how important it is to buy, charge and recycle safely to prevent a fire in your home.

You may not realize how common lithium-ion batteries are in your day-to-day life. Almost anything rechargeable uses this kind of battery.

 

Charge into fire safety: 3 steps

  • Buy only listed products: when buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery, look for a safety certification mark such as UL, ETL, or CSA. This means it meets important safety standards.
  • Charge devices safely:
    • Always use the cord that came with the product to charge.
    • Follow the instructions from the manufacturer.
    • Charge your device on a hard surface.
    • Don’t overcharge your device.
    • Unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged.
  • Recycle batteries responsibly: Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins, they could start a fire. Find a safe battery recycling location at call2recycle.org.

Other safety tips:

Practicing safe cooking this Thanksgiving and avoiding home cooking fires E.S.C.A.P.E., Safety, WXMI Fox 17,
20
Nov 2023

The kitchen is an important place as we move through the week of Thanksgiving. It makes keeping fire safety in mind important, especially when there is a lot of activity and a lot of people in the home.

The United States Fire Administration says 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.

Michael McLeieer with E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety joined FOX 17 to share some simple tips to keep everyone safe.

Turkey:

  • If you are roasting a turkey, make sure you set a timer so you don’t forget about it as you watch the parade or football game

Deep frying a turkey:

  • Use a fryer with thermostat controls to make sure the oil does not become overheated
  • Thaw your turkey completely. Ice on the bird will cause oil to splatter
  • Don’t overfill the pot with oil
  • Keep children and pets at least three-feet away from the fryer to protect against burn injuries
  • Always use the fryer outdoors on a sturdy, level surface away from anything that can burn

Stuffing and Potatoes:

  • Stand by your stove while boiling tomatoes or frying onions. it makes it easier to catch spills or hazardous conditions before they become a fire.