Shreveport Fire Department Offers Safe Cooking Tips for Thanksgiving & Christmas

The winter holidays are the beginning of the peak season for potential fire-related injuries and death. The Shreveport Fire Department is reminding everyone to practice the following simple, yet effective fire safety tips to protect their families and homes.

Kitchen safety cooking tips

● Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home and/or outside each sleeping area.
● Stay in the kitchen when cooking and never leave cooking food unattended.
● Keep all combustible materials away from burners and open flame heat sources.
● Heat cooking oil slowly and watch it closely; it can ignite quickly.
● Do not wear loose sleeves while working over hot stove burners.
● Keep a clearance of at least three-feet between children and the stove or any heated object.
● 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 knives and other sharp objects out of reach of children.

Deep frying turkey tips

● Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors at a safe distance from buildings.  Never use turkey fryers in a garage/carport or on a wooden deck.
● Make sure the fryer is on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
● Never leave the fryer unattended
● Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use…oil remains dangerously hot hours after use.
● Do not overfill the fryer with oil. Hot oil can ignite combustibles and burn skin.
● Use insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles.

● Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix, and water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
● The National Turkey Federation (NTF) recommends thawing the turkey in the refrigerator approximately 24 hours for every five pounds in weight.

● Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.