Observe Fire Safety Tips During Holidays

El Paso Fire Department officials are urging the public to exercise care when preparing their holiday meals. Each year, nearly 4,300 fires in the United States occur on Thanksgiving Day causing 15 fatalities, about 50 injuries, and nearly $27 million in property damage. Of those fires, 1,450 occur in residential structures.

Some fire factoids the public should consider:

Thanksgiving Day fires in residential structures cause more property damage and claim more lives than residential structures on other days. Cooking is by far the leading cause of residential fires on Thanksgiving Day; nearly double that of a normal day. The leading factor in the ignition of residential cooking fires is food left unattended. In the city of El Paso many people attend the annual Thanksgiving Day parade and leave cooking food unattended. The leading causes of residential fire fatalities on Thanksgiving Day are smoking and cooking. The day after Thanksgiving cooking fires decrease substantially, perhaps because people eat leftovers rather than cook.

The El Paso Fire Department is offerin the following Thanksgiving Day kitchen safety tips:

Keep children at least 3 feet away from the stove when food is cooking. Avoid loose-fitting clothing Never leave food unattended when cooking Always turn pot handles inward Don’t store combustibles items on the stove (examples: potholders, hand towels) Don’t use electrical appliances near water and unplug them after use Don’t overload electrical outlets Have an all purpose extinguisher nearby Be sure the kitchen is well ventilated to prevent the build-up of carbon monoxide from gas cooking appliances

Source: El Paso Fire Department