These tips, although intended for the holidays, are good year-round and should be followed to help keep your family and property safe no matter the time of year.
Cooking Safety Tips
Fire departments throughout the country respond to more structure fires during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays than during any other time of year.
The sources of many holiday fires include heating units, faulty lighting – and cooking.
The Las Cruces Fire Department reminds holiday chefs to use extra caution when preparing for their holiday feast. The fire department recommends following these and other safety tips:
- Start with a clean cooking area and keep free from clutter during cooking.
- Keep the cooking area off limits to children.
- Limit the number of people cooking to avoid crowding and accidents.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing and jewelry.
- Never leave active cooking areas unattended. Turn off burners and ovens when leaving the cooking area.
Deep-frying a turkey has its own unique dangers that come along with this method of cooking, and safety precautions should be taken:
- Never use a deep fryer in a garage, on a porch or near any other surface that can catch fire. It is recommended to fry at least 10 feet away from all structures including walls and fences. The propane tank should be no less than three feet away from the fryer.
- Keep children and pets away from the cooking area.
- Avoid filling the fryer with too much oil. Remember, the turkey will displace oil so consider checking, beforehand, how much oil is needed by placing the turkey in the fryer pot and adding water until it covers the bird. Mark the level, drain the water and dry the fryer before adding oil to the marked level.
- Ensure the fryer is tall enough to retain boiling oil well below the rim.
- Be sure the turkey is completely thawed and dry before placing it into the hot oil.
- Use caution when slowly placing the turkey into and removing it from the fryer.
- Wear gloves and cover bare skin while utilizing a turkey fryer.
- Do not leave the fryer unattended and regularly monitor oil temperature.
- If a fire does start, call 911 immediately.
- Do not try to extinguish the fire with water. Have a Class K rated fire extinguisher handy.
- Allow the oil to completely cool before storing or properly disposing it.
- Follow all safety directions included with the burner and deep fryer being used.
Safety Tips for Preventing Holiday Fires
More residential fires are reported during the holidays than at any other time during the year, so the Las Cruces Fire Department encourages residents to follow these simple tips that can greatly increase their chances of having a safe holiday season.
- If you purchase a cut Christmas tree, select a freshly-cut tree with green needles. Its trunk should be sticky to the touch. If needles fall off easily, the tree is already dry and a fire hazard.
- Do not place a Christmas tree close to a heat source, such as a fireplace, heater vent or ash trays. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
- No not dispose of a tree in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Dispose of your tree by taking it to a recycling center or have it hauled away by a community pick-up service.
- Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in insulation, broken or cracked sockets, or worn wires.
- Exercise caution when using lights that have heat-generating bulbs as they can cause enough heat to dry out trees or wood trims, and that can become a fire hazard.
- Do not overload electrical outlets. In most cases, outlets are capable of powering only three light strands. If electrical wiring is warm to the touch, it’s overloaded.
- Unplug holiday lights and extinguish candles and luminarias prior to leaving home.
- Use only non-flammable or flame-retardant decorations and keep them away from heat sources.
- Do not burn wrapping paper as it can throw dangerous sparks and produce a chemical buildup that could lead to an explosion.
- If you are using a metallic or artificial Christmas tree, make sure it is flame retardant. If it is pre-wired for lights, inspect the lights prior to use as you would any holiday lights or decorations.
- If using candles, place them in holders or stands that cannot be knocked over.
- Never put lighted candles or luminarias near trees or other combustible items.
The Las Cruces Fire Department also reminds residents to make sure their home has properly working smoke detectors installed on every floor, and in or near every bedroom. Fresh batteries should be installed at least every six months.