Culver City Shared Thanksgiving Fire Safety Tips

Press release from the City of Culver City:

November 13, 2020

Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. We understand your holidays will look much different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please follow Public Health guidelines in addition to our fire safety tips to keep everyone safe.

• Correctly wear a cloth face covering to prevent disease spread when outside your home and around others that are not part of your household.
• Avoid confined spaces - Actively stay away from indoor and outdoor spaces that don’t allow for easy distancing of at least 6 feet between you and others.
• Avoid close contact – Stay at least 6 feet away (3 or more adult steps) from all other people who are not part of your own household, especially while talking, eating, drinking, and singing.
• Remain outdoors as much as possible when socializing with people not in your household.
• Wash or sanitize your hands often.
• Clean frequently touched items regularly.
• If you are sick, or you have been in contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19 stay home, away from others, and get tested.

The Culver City Fire Department encourages you to be safe when preparing your holiday meal. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• The leading cause of fire in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Stand by your pan when you are cooking on the stove top. If you leave the kitchen for even a short time, turn off the stove.
• Watch what you are cooking. Fires start when the heat is too high. If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Then no one can bump them or pull them over.
• Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby. Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire.
• Stay in your home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently. Set a timer so you will not forget about the bird as you watch the parade or football.
• Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns. Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Keep anything that can catch fire (e.g., oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packages, towels and curtains) away from your stovetop.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
• If you are frying your turkey, use a fryer with thermostat controls to ensure the oil does not become over heated. Thaw your turkey completely; ice on the bird will cause oil to splatter. Don’t’ overfill the pot with oil. Always use a turkey fryer outdoors.

Here are some helpful resources:

• Thanksgiving Safety
• Turkey Fryer Safety
• Cooking Safety
• Cooking Fire Fact Sheet
• Kids in the Kitchen

For more information, visit the Culver City Fire Department's Fire and Life Safety Tips page.

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We hope you have a SAFE and Happy Thanksgiving!

This press release was produced by the City of Culver City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.