Fire Safety Tips for this Thanksgiving!

•  Nov 24, 2015
•  Complete

      Thanksgiving is one of America's favorite holidays for obvious reasons... food. The delicious turkey, mash potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole; oh I could go on forever. While this is such a fun time of the year, we have to be extra careful when it comes to kitchen fires.  Fire Safety  in the kitchen is always important, especially during any big holiday such as Thanksgiving when there is a lot more activity going on than normal. Did you know that cooking is one of the leading causes for home fires and home injuries?  Thanksgiving  is one of the most common days for home cooking fires. Frying the turkey and other foods is the greatest risk for this! Complete has some tips for you and your family on how to have a safe and fire - free Thanksgiving this year!

• Try to keep children out of the kitchen while the meal is being prepared. We all know that sometimes our kids can get carried away and maybe even knock something over into an open flame. This could result in burns to themselves and others.
• Don't forget to turn off the burners that you are finished using. With so much activity going on, we can forget to do this very easily. Try using a timer as a reminder when a dish is done.
• Try to make sure that pot handles on the stove top, are faced towards the middle of the stove at all times.
• Never leave the kitchen unattended while frying, broiling or grilling food. Turn off the stove if you have to leave the room for any reason at all.
• Make sure to keep any fabric (kitchen towels, clothing or pot holders) away from an open flame. Try not to wear any loose clothing while cooking in the kitchen.

Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday where we are surrounded by family and good food. You may not have a house fire on your mind, but we all need to be aware that they are very common. Your cousin Susan, who you haven't seen in years, could walk through the door and as soon as you hear her voice greeting you and the family, you'll run over to her with excitement to give her a warm welcome. By this time you have completely forgotten the fact that you have a turkey frying, potatoes over boiling and the casserole broiling in the oven. All of the sudden your fabulous Thanksgiving dinner has gone up in flames as well as your newly remodeled kitchen! Please be extremely cautious and aware of your surroundings while cooking this year so you can avoid having this tragedy happen in your home. Complete DKI wishes each and every one of you a SAFE and HAPPY Thanksgiving!

---