Cal Fire

Sacramento, CA – With the Thanksgiving holiday just days away, CAL FIRE is reminding Californians about the dangers that home fires pose during the holiday season. Holidays are a time of food, fun and festivities; but they are also a time to be extra cautious as thousands of home fires across the nation are caused from holiday cooking.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially during the holidays, but it is also where most fires start. Cooking is the leading cause of fires in homes. It is important to be especially alert of your cooking activities when your family and guests are around.

“Thanksgiving Day is often the day of the year when we respond to the most home cooking fires,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE Director. “It’s really important that everyone practice a little extra fire safety this Thanksgiving to help prevent a cooking fire.”

To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking fires, CAL FIRE would like to offer the following tips:

Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove. Never leave cooking food on the stove unattended.
If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
Food preparation and cooking should always be supervised by an adult.
When using a turkey fryer, be sure to follow instructions closely. Don’t exceed the recommended oil level and only use the device outdoors!
Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy at all times. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
Ensure that smoke alarms are installed and working.

Watch this short video from CAL FIRE for some more tips on cooking safety at http://www.youtube.com/v/f6msytP37fk. or visit www.fire.ca.gov.