Firefighters give safety tips ahead of Thanksgiving cooking

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Fire officials have safety tips for people cooking their Thanksgiving feasts this week.

They say mistakes like using water to extinguish a grease fire or putting a frozen turkey in the fryer can lead to kitchen or even house fires.

They also say that’s why preventing and being prepared for a fire, before the holiday, is important.

Having working smoke alarms and a fire extinguisher are essential.

The National Fire Protection Association says Thanksgiving is the most fire-prone day of the year.

”Biggest thing, keep an eye on what you’re doing. Everybody wants to go and talk with everybody, make sure everything’s getting set up and all this around the house. Somebody has to be keeping an eye on what’s going on in the kitchen, right where the heat source is right around the stove. Another big concern is children in the kitchen, so the golden rule is kids are at least three feet away from any electrical cords, pot handles, the stove itself. So basically, just keeping a mindful eye on things.” said Greg Hodge, Assistant Fire Chief at The Bangor Fire Department.

A crucial rule to follow, if a fire does break out, is to get out, and stay out and call 9-1-1.

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