ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner, and while the day can mean fun and good memories with family and friends, it also means making sure everyone remains safe, especially in the kitchen.
With that in mind, Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk said there are some precautions that should be taken before cooking the big meal.
“Cooking fires are the leading cause of fires in the U.S., and with Thanksgiving, of course there's the big meal that gets prepared. It's not only fire safety that needs to be kept in mind, but also burn safety,” Kirk said. “The biggest piece of advice I would give is make sure to not leave anything unattended – it's easy to get distracted by answering the door or taking a phone call or maybe even getting something else ready, and by the time you get back to what you were doing in the kitchen, multiple minutes have passed and there could be a big mess. We always encourage people to also make sure their cooking space is clean and cleared up and actually ready to handle all the different preparations that will be going on, that's a small thing people might not think about that actually goes a long way. As time goes on, it can be easy to overlook building either in the oven or the stovetop, but a lot of the fires we've experienced locally have to do with buildup of grease and oils and other dirt prior to all the preparations, which can either really smoke a place up or legitimately catch fire, so again, a little cleaning will go a long way to help with that. We also always encourage people to keep flammable materials away from whatever heat source they're using and keep any towels and/or paper towels away from the stovetop. With regard to burn injuries, any pots and pans with boiling water or gravy is a scalding hazard, so keep them out of range especially with children. It's a good idea to treat the stovetop as though it's always hot, even if you're sure you've got everything turned off, because you just never know, and no one wants to deal with an injury like that around this time of year. There's also always extra electricity being used, such as with electric knives and other appliances, so be sure to also keep in mind not overloading electrical outlets and things like that.”
Kirk said there are also some precautions to take for those who choose to deep fry their birds.
“A main thing is don't let the oil or grease overflow from the fryer you're using, and we advise doing a dry run by first putting the turkey in a pot of water and marking where the water ends so you know how much oil to put in so it doesn't overflow,” Kirk said. “Also, don't fry the turkey in your garage or in the house, find a clear and open space outside where you can set up so in case something does happen, your house won't be harmed. We would also emphasize DO NOT put a frozen turkey in oil because that will cause huge problems since again, water and hot grease don't mix very well – make sure the bird is completely thawed and dried off before putting it in the cooker. Many people who do deep fry their turkeys have done it before and have their process that works for them, but if you're new to it, do some research beforehand and make sure you have everything you need. And for people planning on that, they can take some simple precautions to prepare the cooking area – make sure any leaves and other debris is cleared out and away from the area where you'll be setting up the cooker, and also make sure there aren't any trip hazards or anything like that. Just make sure you're using a good, clear area and everything should go well.”
Thanksgiving is typically not that different from what the LFD handles on a day-to-day basis, Kirk said.
“Usually, on the holiday itself or leading up to it, we might get called to some additional cooking fires caused by burnt food on a stovetop or in the oven. But for the most part, while I've been here, Thanksgiving isn't a day where we know we'll need all hands on deck to handle a flood of extra calls or anything like that,” Kirk said. “We'll have the same staffing we typically have – we try to run six firefighters per shift, which gives us three at the north fire station, two at the Pine Street station and one out at the airport. It'll be normal staffing, but all of our guys are on call in case a big emergency situation arises and we need some extra help. A lot of what makes Thanksgiving so prone to emergencies is the fact that you're preparing very large meals for a large number of people, which means a lot of additional cooking and more time in the kitchen with more heat and electricity and everything else being used. If a situation does arise, the first step is to get everyone out of the house and to safety. Oven fires can happen, and if you have that happen, leave the door shut and turn off the heat so it can smother itself out. If you're working with something with grease, have a lid ready for that pot and if something happens, put the lid on it and let it smother itself. However, if it's a situation that's out of your control, call 911 and we'll respond and help as best we can.”
Overall, Kirk said, he hopes for a relatively quiet Thanksgiving holiday.
“We're hoping for another relatively quiet year, and we hope people will take just a few basic precautions to keep themselves safe,” Kirk said. “This is also a good time to make sure your smoke detectors work before you have guests, and if you have people coming and staying overnight who aren't as familiar with your home, make sure they know what to do in case of an emergency and how to get out if they need to. Like I always say, if people will just take those simple precautions and take a little extra time to have a plan, everything should be okay and everyone should be safe. Be careful, be extra aware, and we hope everyone ultimately has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.”
