Tips in the Kitchen for a Safe Holiday

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - The National Fire Protection Association says the number one cause of house fires in this country is cooking and that number goes way up during the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving.

It may be tempting to run a quick errand while the turkey is in the oven but Dr. John Griswold, a trauma surgeon, says that is not a good idea. His advice, “Don’t leave the kitchen when something’s cooking on the stovetop. Don’t leave the house when the turkey’s in the oven and check on the turkey regularly. You know, some people probably think that that’s safe to do but it’s not and it generally only takes a second for a problem to happen.”

He adds be sure that knife handles are not close to the edge of kitchen counters. Also, don’t let electrical cords *hang from the counter where somebody could snag it or a child could grab it. His reason, “So that somebody can’t knock into a pot of boiling water or what have you and burn themselves or those around them. Because our burn children numbers go way up during the holidays which is really sad.”

Especially during family gatherings, he says keep kids out of the kitchen. If something does spark a fire, don’t try to put it out yourself. It’s safer to just call 9-1-1.

He says “Don’t throw flour or water on a frying pan that’s caught on fire. Sad stories we end up dealing with are people who try to put the fire out and then get trapped in the home.”

One other concern he wants people to think about: if you have a gun in the house and you’re expecting visitors over the holidays, make sure your guns are locked away and not a temptation to anyone who is curious.

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