South Brunswick Fire Chiefs Release Thanksgiving Safety Guidance

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The South Brunswick Fire Chiefs Association has released important fire safety tips ahead of Thanksgiving.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking has been the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries since 1990, with unattended cooking by far the leading contributing factor in these fires.

The fire chiefs have asked residents to keep their appliances clean by removing grease build-up before cooking, and keep the area around appliances free of combustibles, like dish rags, and paper items including paper towels, newspapers, or letters.

Here are some handy tips:

• Never leave cooking appliances unattended; if you must leave the kitchen, turn off the appliance.
• Keep children and pets away from cooking appliances.
• If you have a small fire on the stovetop, slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• If you have a small fire inside the oven, keep the door closed and turn off the appliance.
• If you choose to use a deep dryer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions, as well as: use the fryer outside on the flat ground at least 10 feet away from any structure; be sure the turkey is thawed and dry before lowering into the fryer, and be prepared by having a multi-purpose dry chemical portable fire extinguisher nearby in the event the cooking oil ignites.

If a fire does start inside the home, everyone should evacuate the house right away. Once outside, call 911 immediately.

A fire can double in size in less than a minute. Hence, it’s important to inform the fire department as soon as possible. Keep everyone outside and await the arrival of the emergency services.

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