The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office is stressing the importance of cooking safety this Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment.
Here are a few safety tips from State Fire Marshal Spokesman J-C Fultz.
“Before you start to pre-heat the oven, make sure there is nothing left in the oven. Some people will store a broiler pan or actually leave a pan in there. Make sure it is clean. Make sure everything is properly working. If there is a fire in the oven, shut off the oven and keep the door closed.”
If you are frying your turkey, Fultz says the turkey should be completely thawed and dry before placing it in the fryer
“Only deep fry that turkey outside. Not in the garage, not on the patio, this needs to be outdoors away from anything that can catch fire like an overhang or a deck. Make sure before you start this not to overfill the oil in the fryer.”
Fultz says small flames in a pan can be smothered by sliding a lid on top.
