ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- For most, Thanksgiving is a day filled with family, friends, fellowship, football and food.
However, in all merriment exists an ever-present danger that, at minimum, can disrupt holiday festivities and, at worst, result in the loss of life.
Members of the Arnold Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services team are urging those across the base to be aware of fire risks this Thanksgiving and are offering tips to prevent a Turkey Day disaster.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, with more than three times the daily average for such incidents. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve rank second and third, with both having around twice the daily average.
On Thanksgiving Day alone in 2021, an estimated 1,160 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments. This reflected a 297% increase over the daily average.
Unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. According to the NFPA, cooking causes around 53% of all reported home fires and nearly 40% of home fie injuries. Cooking fires account for around 18% of home fire deaths, making them a leading cause of such occurrences.
Both Arnold FES Fire Prevention and Communication Officer Christian Lyle and Fire Inspector Guy Chastain surmise that distracted cooking may also have a hand in the sizable uptick in the number of residential cooking fires occurring on Thanksgiving. This, they said, goes hand-in-hand with unattended cooking, as those responsible for overseeing preparation of the holiday meal may be pulled away from the stove to socialize with guests.
“They have family, events going on, and they’re trying to do too many things at one time,” Chastain said, “and I think that may lead to unattended cooking.”
Another factor may be that those charged with cooking are not used to preparing larger meals.
“They’re not really accustomed to preparing so many different items at the same time and they’re trying to get everything to all finish up at the right time, so they may have forgotten something they had on the burner,” Chastain said. “There’s just a lot of different things that come into play on Thanksgiving.”
Lyle recommended that cooking timers be used for items being prepared in the oven and that a fire extinguisher should be kept near the stove and should be readily accessible during cooking.
Arnold FES and the NFPA also offer the following tips to help ensure a safer Thanksgiving:
- Those cooking should remain in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop to keep an eye on the food.
- When turkey or other food is being cooked in the oven, those cooking it may leave the kitchen occasionally but should not leave the home while the oven is in use. Food cooking in the oven should be checked on frequently.
- Children should be kept away from the cooking area. Pot handles should be turned toward the back of the stove, and the creation of a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around the stove and areas where hot food and drink are prepared is recommended. Children and pets should be kept out of this zone when cooking.
- Make sure children stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Make sure electric cords from electric knives, coffee makers, plate warmers or mixers are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children. The NFPA recommends keeping such devices up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.
- Keep the floor clear to eliminate tripping hazards.
Lyle also suggests that individuals familiarize themselves with how to deal with grease fires. He said, should a fire occur, an attempt should be made to cover the pan or pot with the lid or a metal baking sheet in order to smother the blaze. The pan or pot should then be removed from the heating element but not moved to the sink, as this could increase the likelihood of fire-related injury. Water should never be used to attempt to extinguish a grease fire.
If a fire occurs and causes what appears to be only minimal damage to the home, Lyle said contacting the fire department is still a required course of action, as there could be unseen hot spots or smoldering embers beneath what seems to be a superficially burnt area.
“If you call the fire department, they would much rather come out there and check it out for you and it be safe than for them to have to come out there while you’re having a real bad day,” Lyle said.
Lyle added that now is also a good time to check smoke alarms in the home and change batteries in the detectors.
While fryers are a popular way of cooking turkeys, the NFPA has stated that turkey fryers that use cooking oil are not safe.
“These fryers use large amounts of oil at high temperatures, which can cause devastating burns,” the NFPA website states. “If you want a fried turkey for your Thanksgiving meal, purchase it from a grocery store, restaurant or buy a fryer that does not use oil.”
Lyle said the use of fryers relying on oil on Arnold AFB property, including the Arnold Village community, is “highly discouraged.”
Those opting to use such fryers are asked to strictly follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when putting oil in the fryer. It is recommended again that a fire extinguisher be kept nearby and easily accessible. Fryers should be used away from dwellings and other structures and not be used in garages or on porches, decks and patios.
Lyle added those using fryers should ensure the turkey is fully thawed before proceeding with cooking.
To demonstrate how quickly a fire fryer can get out of control, the NFPA has posted a video to its website and YouTube. That video can be viewed at &t=26s.
“We want everybody to obviously enjoy their Thanksgiving and to be thankful for family and friends and the freedoms that we enjoy today and for everybody to be able to come back after the holiday and to continue to do the good work that everybody is doing for the defense of this nation,” Lyle said.
For additional information, contact the Arnold FES Fire Prevention Office at 931-454-5569 or 931-454-5306.