Have a Safe Thanksgiving – Cooking Safety Tips
Date/Time
Date(s) - 11/14/2022 - 11/30/2022
12:00 am
Categories
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Brian Williamsen | Regional Communications Manager
(309) 204-7655 (Cell) | (312) 907-0520 (24/7 Media Line) | brian.williamsen@redcross.org
Have a Safe Thanksgiving – Cooking Safety Tips
Local Red Cross Volunteers Help 23 People Affected by Home Fires in the Past Week
November 14, 2022 – Thanksgiving is just around the corner, along with the holiday feast that goes with
it. Because cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires, the American Red Cross has some
steps everyone can follow to have a safe holiday.
Most cooking fires are caused by unattended cooking. To help keep you and your loved ones safe, the
Red Cross offers these safety tips:
• When cooking a turkey or other items in the oven, stay in your home and check on it regularly.
• Keep an eye on what you fry. Never leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave the
kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Move items that can burn away from the stove. This includes dishtowels, bags, boxes, paper and
curtains. Also keep children and pets at least three feet away.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.
• When frying food, turn the burner off if you see smoke or if the grease starts to boil. Carefully
remove the pan from the burner.
• Keep a pan lid or a cookie sheet nearby. Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire. This will put
out the fire. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
• Turn pot handles to the back of the stove, so no one bumps them or pulls them over.
• Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on. Check the kitchen before going to bed
or leaving home to ensure all stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off.
You can also help keep your family safe by testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your home
fire escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have
to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can
also download our free Emergency app and free Red Cross First Aid app for instant access on how to
control bleeding, help someone who is choking and other scenarios. Search “American Red Cross” in app
stores.
Home Fire Response
American Red Cross volunteers responded to eight home fires in Benld, Hettick, Litchfield, Saint Elmo,
Sesser, Sigel, Springfield, and Vandalia in the past week and provided assistance to 23 individuals,
through supplying them with basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in
the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support.
If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch
line: (877) 597-0747.
Home fires are the most frequent disaster and claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Working smoke
alarms can cut the risk of death in a home fire by 50 percent.
Download the Red Cross Emergency app for detailed home fire prevention and safety tips. Visit
redcross.org/apps or search “American Red Cross” in app stores to download the app, which is
compatible with Apple Watch and Android wearable devices.
If you would like to help people affected by home fires and other disasters, please visit
redcross.org/volunteer to sign up as a Red Cross disaster volunteer