Many New Mexicans have already started cooking for tomorrow’s festivities, but it’s never too late to review a few cooking fire safety tips! 
Thanksgiving is nearly here. While many of us may be celebrating differently due to Covid 19, we here at the SkyTech of New Mexico suspect quite a few of you will still be doing a bit of cooking on Thursday.
Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year that you are most likely to have a cooking fire – three times more likely in fact. To keep safe this Thanksgiving we offer these cooking tips:
- Watch what you cook. Stay in the kitchen while grilling, frying or broiling food. If you need to leave the kitchen, turn off the stove or oven. If you’re boiling, baking or roasting food be sure to check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that the stove is in use.
- Keep things which can burn away from the stove’s burners – this includes pot holders, oven mitts, food packaging, etc.
- To prevent accidental burns wear clothing with short or close fitting sleeves. Keep pot handles rotated in towards the center of the stove and have a “kid-free” zone of three feet around the hot stove. If you do burn yourself remember to cool it with running water for 10-15 minutes.
- If there is a fire in your oven, don’t panic. Turn off the oven, keep the door shut and call 911. If there is a fire in the pan on top of the stove, use a tight fitting lid to smother the fire. Do not put water on the fire, smother it with a dish towel or attempt to move the burning pan outside.
- If you use a turkey fryer make sure it is only used outside on a flat, stable surface away from anything combustible (i.e. garage, deck, etc) and never leave it unattended. Do not overfill the fryer with oil and make sure the turkey is completely thawed before placing it in the fryer. To be extra safe keep an ABC or BC-rated fire extinguisher nearby.
Thank you for this publication to the Bangor Maine Fire Department
