State fire marshal reminds Oregonians to be fire safe when cooking
State fire marshal reminds Oregonians to be fire safe when cooking
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, State Fire Marshal Mark Wallace is reminding Oregonians to practice fire safety when cooking and preparing holiday meals.
"Every year cooking-related fires increase during the holidays," said Wallace. "But, by following simple safety steps you can keep loved ones from experiencing a cooking-related fire tragedy.
From 2007 through 2011, there were more than 3,661 cooking-related fires in Oregon causing seven deaths, 224 civilian injuries, and more than $29 million in property loss.
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 oven mitts, dishtowels, food packaging, and other combustibles away from stove burners.
* Heat cooking oil slowly and watch it closely, it can ignite quickly.
* Don't wear loose sleeves while working over hot stove burners, they can melt, ignite, or catch on handles of pots and pans spilling hot oil and other liquids.
* Have a "kid-free zone" of at least three-feet around the stove and areas where hot foods or drinks are prepared or carried.
* 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.
* Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and take responsibility for learning how to use it.
* Keep pot and pan handles turned in toward the stove to avoid bumping them and spilling hot foods.
Also, make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom. Test smoke alarms monthly and replace them if they are 10 years old or older.
Turkey fryer safety:
The Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) agrees with officials from Underwriters Laboratories that deep fat turkey fryers are dangerous and present numerous safety hazards. The OSFM does not recommend the use of deep fat turkey fryers. However, we also recognize families are increasingly choosing this method to prepare their turkey. If you use a fryer, the OSFM urges you to use extreme caution.
"If you're cooking your turkey in a deep fat fryer, always do it outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable material, and never leave it unattended," advises State Fire Marshal Mark Wallace. "Hot oil is extremely dangerous, so never use turkey fryers on a wooden deck or in your garage."
Place the fryer on a flat, stable surface and don't overfill it with cooking oil. Once the oil is up to temperature, turn off the burner and only insert turkeys that are completely thawed, otherwise hot oil will splatter and may boil over the sides of the fryer. Never use water to cool hot oil or extinguish a cooking oil fire. Keep children away from the fryer, and use thermometers to gauge oil and food temperatures. After cooking, make sure the oil is completely cool before removing it from the fryer.
More turkey fryer safety tips:
* Lower and raise 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 and leave the pot uncovered to cool.
For more information on general home fire safety, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/pages/commed_firesafety_program.aspx
