Holiday Cooking Safety Tips From Astoria Fire and Rescue

Astoria Fire & Rescue would like to remind everyone about the importance of fire safety in the kitchen during the Thanksgiving holiday. Every year cooking-related fires increase during the holidays. From 2005 through 2009, there were 3,500 cooking-related fires in Oregon causing six deaths, 231 injuries and $37 million in property loss.

Here are some cooking safety tips:

· Keep a close eye on your cooking, never leave cooking food unattended.

· Keep your cooking area clean, including stovetop, oven, and exhaust fan.

· Keep potholders, dishtowels and other combustibles away from stove burners.

· Heat cooking oil slowly and watch it closely; it can ignite quickly.

· Keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.

· Watch your sleeves. Loose sleeves over burners can ignite or catch on handles of pots and pans spilling hot oil and other liquids.

· Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and know how to use it.

· Have a “kid-free zone” of at least three-feet around the stove and areas where hot foods or drinks are prepared or carried.

If you plan to cook in a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, be sure to use it outdoors (not on a wooden deck or in your garage), away from any combustible materials, and do not leave it unattended. Make sure that the fryer is placed on a flat stable surface and do not overfill the fryer with cooking oil.

Turkey fryer safety tips:

· Do not move the fryer once it has been started.

· Keep children away from the cooking unit.

· Raise and lower food slowly to reduce splatter and prevent burns.

· Cover bare skin when adding or removing food from the fryer.

· Make sure to have at least two feet of space between the propane tank and the fryer burner.

· If the oil begins to smoke, immediately turn the fryer gas supply off.

· Never attempt to use water to extinguish or cool the hot oil.

· Make sure the oil is completely cool before removing it from the fryer.

Astoria Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community to test their smoke alarms monthly and to have smoke alarms on every level of their home, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom. For more information contact Astoria Fire & Rescue at 503-325-2345.