It’s the season for cooking fires

‘Tis the season to burn more than you meant to.

Instead of just burning candles on the dinner table, you may burn the turkey, or the dressing, or the rolls, or the oven mitts, or the kitchen, or the house.

Under current conditions here in the Southeast – a lingering drought that has left grass and leaves dry and brittle – inadvertently burning one thing could lead to burning many others, as flames will spread instantly. That’s why many counties in Georgia and Alabama, including Muscogee County and Russell County, are under an outdoor burn ban.

Under the circumstances, an indoor fire easily can become an outdoor one, and the kitchen is a prime place to start it.

Home cooking fires happen more often on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year, experts say. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 72 percent of all residential fires on Thanksgiving come from careless cooking, up from 48 percent on other days.

The worst time for such fires is, as you might guess, around lunchtime – from noon to 3 p.m., though FEMA stats show the risk starts to increase around 10 a.m. and doesn’t taper off until 4 p.m.

On other days, the risk of a cooking fire is highest at suppertime, 5 to 8 p.m.

Much of the focus of Thanksgiving fire prevention lately has been on deep-frying turkeys, as hot oil poses a high risk of splattering and igniting, and pouring water on it only spreads it. Also it makes dramatic YouTube video, so firefighters like to demonstrate the danger, under controlled conditions, by cranking up the burner and dropping in a frozen turkey that spouts a geyser of grease and flame.

Fryers are for outdoor use only, of course, not on the back deck or under the carport, but well away from the house. Those that aren’t carefully balanced can tip over, sending a wave of hot oil across a yard toward a structure.

Most cooking fires require no such drama, to get started. A common error simply is to leave a padded pot holder on the stovetop, where it catches fire from a lit burner while everyone’s in the dining room eating or in the den watching TV.

Misplaced dish towels, paper bags, wooden utensils, cardboard boxes or holiday decorations also pose a fire risk near heat sources.

Besides having a functional smoke detector, a good fire-prevention measure is to leave nothing unattended: Don’t leave candles burning in empty rooms; don’t leave anything cooking on the stove if no one’s in the kitchen; don’t leave anything combustible near a heat source.

Using a cooking timer that sounds an alert can help remind those preparing the meal when to remove dishes from the heat.

Residents also should thoroughly clean cooking surfaces so no grease buildup risks spreading flames, and they should keep fire extinguishers nearby, so they’re ready to deal with accidents. But they also should remember that most injuries occur when untrained people try to put out a fire before calling 911. A spreading blaze requires professional help.

Fancy holiday outfits can be a hazard for cooks: Loose, hanging sleeves dangled over a stove burner can catch fire quickly. Short sleeves, tight sleeves or no sleeves are preferable.

Having a toaster or other portable electrical appliance near a stovetop may be convenient, but it also can be a hazard, if the cord gets too close to a burner.

The American Red Cross recommends those gathering for the holidays designate one person to act as the home fire marshal, patrolling the premises to make sure candles are extinguished when people leave and nothing hot is left unattended.

Especially the turkey fryer.

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 2:35 PM with the headline "It’s the season for cooking fires."