PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The day before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day are two of the most dangerous days when it comes to fires, with fire departments across the country seeing more house fires than almost any other day of the year.
Firefighter and fire prevention coordinator for Washington Township Adam Seczech said cooking fires are the leading cause of fires in the country.
"Once you are distracted, bad things can happen. You think, 'Oh I will just leave the stove on and run out real quick.' We have had a lot of fires where people have left something on the stove, come back and their house is on fire," he explained.
Charles Johnson, deputy chief for the Philadelphia Fire Department's fire prevention division, said to prevent fires from happening while he is cooking, he often keeps something from the kitchen with him all the time as a reminder.
He also said if you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don't use your stove.
"And stay in the kitchen if you are baking, boiling or broiling food. Because individuals are home, they get relaxed and think they can walk away from the stove — it becomes more and more hazardous," Johnson added.
And frying your turkey, Seczech said, can be dangerous.
"You want to make sure it is dry and thawed out. If you put a wet turkey in a pot full of oil, it is going to be an inferno. You want to do it on a level surface. And you do not want to do it near the house, not in the garage or on the deck," Seczech advised.
Johnson said this Thanksgiving may be more dangerous than previous years.
"Especially at this time of pandemic, where most people are home. If it wasn't for the pandemic, a lot of people would be out or going to a restaurant," he said.
Both recommend you wear clothing that you can easily roll up, and keep potholders and dish towels away from the stove.
