The Houston Fire Department Offers Cooking Safety Tips for the Thanksgiving Holiday

The Houston Fire Department wants you to have a safe and happy holiday by keeping some simple cooking tips in mind for the Thanksgiving Day feast.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, and most cooking fires are avoidable. 
On average, more than 30 percent of residential fires during the week of Thanksgiving in the City of Houston are cooking related.
In 2023, the USFA reported that in the United States, there were 167,800 fires related to cooking that caused 125 deaths, 2,500 injuries and more than half a billion dollars in damages.
According to the NFPA, last year, ranges or cooktops accounted for more than half of all fires, with unattended cooking accounting for 25 percent of the fires.
Cooking Safety Tips:

Always have a working smoke detector
Never leave cooking food unattended
Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove and never position them over another burner
Make sure potholders are not too close to the stove
Wear short sleeves or tight-fitting long sleeves
Shield yourself from scalding steam when lifting lids from hot pots
Keep broilers, ovens, stove tops and exhaust ducts free from grease
If there is a fire in the oven-Turn off the oven and keep the oven door closed
Use an ABC fire extinguisher, baking soda or a tight-fitting pot lid, never flour or water, to extinguish a kitchen fire

Turkey Fryer Safety Tips:

Turkey fryers are extremely dangerous
Always use turkey fryers outdoors away from anything that can burn
Never use them on wooden decks or in garages
Never leave the fryer unattended or leave children or pets near the fryer
The oil will remain dangerously hot hours after use
Never overfill a fryer and make sure the turkey is completely thawed
Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish the fire

You Will Need: In addition to a completely thawed turkey, you’ll need a 40- or 60-quart pot with basket or turkey frying hardware, a propane gas tank and burner, a candy/deep fry thermometer, a meat thermometer and plenty of oil. Use oils that have a high smoke point, such as corn, peanut or canola oils.
As far as the turkey itself goes, smaller birds work better for frying. Avoid turkeys larger than 15 lbs for frying. Before You Fry- Please read and follow all manufacturer’s instructions.
These tips will help to prevent oil overflow: Before beginning, (and before you even season or marinate your turkey) determine the amount of oil you’ll need by placing the turkey in the basket (or on the hanger, depending on the type of fryer you are using) and putting it in the pot. Add water until it reaches about two inches above the turkey. Remove the turkey and note the water level by using a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water. Remove the water and thoroughly dry the pot. Now add enough oil to equal what the water level was without the turkey in the pot.
(Media – A good video of what happens if the turkey is not completely thawed may be found from the Austin Fire Department at https://www.facebook.com/reel/1757679331577067)
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