Firefighters Caution Holiday Cooks Of Increased Fire Dangers This Thanksgiving
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Firefighters have cautioned holiday cooks ahead of what is consistently the leading day every year for home cooking fires.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, reported fires more-than-double on Thanksgiving Day mostly due to inattentive amateur chefs in the kitchen or backyard.
"People think you can just put your turkey on the smoker, put your turkey in the oven or in the fryer, walk away and go about your business," said Mike Drivdahl with the Fort Worth Fire Department. "You've got to pay attention to these things."
While most cooking fires still happen on the range or cooktop, the deep fryer fires — while rare — are some of the most costly. Damages average above $25,000, according to the NFPA.
Most injuries occur while people are trying to put the fire out, often using water instead of a fire extinguisher, which can just cause the fire to spread.