Practicing fire safety during the holiday
As we sit down with our family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, Boone County fire officials said they encourage everyone to be safe while cooking.
Boone County Fire officials said cooking is the No. 1 cause of fires in Boone County. “We encourage people to never leave things unattended — a lot of cooking going in the kitchens over these holiday seasons — the baking, the making candy, those types to things. People need to just do due diligence and really pay attention to what’s going on,” said Gale Blomenkamp, battalion chief for Boone County Fire Protection District.
Frying turkeys has been growing in popularity over the years. Fire officials said it can be dangerous. They said make sure the bird is thawed and take precautions. “It needs to be done outside on a solid concrete surface, not a wood deck, but on a solid concrete surface. Should never be unattended. So, people need to monitor that and monitor the temperature of the oil,” said Blomenkamp.
After we fill our stomachs, many of us will deck the halls. Fire officials said to take a few precautions when decorating for the holiday. They said keep your tree fresh — water it frequently, especially if you’re going to have it up for a month. Placement of the tree is important, too. Fire officials said to keep it away from heat sources and do not block exits. Also, they encourage everyone to be careful when hanging lights. “If they have multiple plugs, they need to use a strip or and an adapter. So, if there is a problem then that throws the trigger on that power strip,” said Blomenkamp.
Fire officials said one of the best ways to prevent injures from fires is to have a plan and practice it. They said have an alternative exit route from your home in case any exits are blocked by flames.
