HELENA — This Thanksgiving, the Helena Fire Department wants to remind folks to stay safe and be mindful when cooking.
“This Thanksgiving, it’s a great time of year to be together with family and, of course, cooking and food is a big part of that this time of year. So, we'd say that, you know, we’d like to see where people don't leave anything unattended on their cooktop, that they periodically check stuff that is cooking in the oven, and don't leave their house when they have stuff roasting in the oven,” says Fire Inspector for Helena Fire Department, Kurt Sheehan.
As we prep for a day gathered with family and friends, it’s important to remember proper kitchen safety in order to prevent disaster over the holiday.
A few of those tips include staying in the kitchen when there is food on the stovetop or in the oven, making sure smoke alarms are working properly, keeping kids away from the stove and any place where hot food or drink is being made or carried, and following manufacturers' recommendations, if you decide to deep fry a turkey.
“Please follow the manufacturers' recommendations on, you know, thawing your stuff completely before you try to deep fry,” says Sheehan.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, the most amount of home fires involving cooking equipment occurs on Thanksgiving.
But Helenans seem to be doing pretty good at remembering their kitchen safety among the holiday festivities. During the past 3 Thanksgivings, Helena Fire Department has responded to only 5 smoke alarm activation calls and 3 other fire-related calls. That’s a pretty good record when you consider how many folks are probably roasting up turkeys and other sides.
So, this Thanksgiving, remember to have fun and stay safe.
