Residents were warned to cook turkeys safely during the holidays. | Toa Heftiba/Unsplash
Residents were warned to cook turkeys safely during the holidays. | Toa Heftiba/Unsplash
Members of the Clark County Fire Department recently reminded residents to be safe while cooking their holiday turkeys.
Cooking is the main cause of home fires in the U.S., according to a news release from the county government. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day account for the majority of cooking-related fires each year. Deep-frying turkeys poses the greatest risk of fire due to the amount of oil and high temperature necessary to cook the bird properly.
"The holidays are a fun and active time for families, especially in their kitchens, where it may be easy to get distracted," John Steinbeck, chief of the Clark County Fire Department, said in the news release. "It's important to never leave food cooking on a stovetop unattended and to keep a safe distance from burners and hot foods or liquids. This is also a good time of year to make sure your household smoke detectors are in good working order in case of fire."
The fire department teamed up with the Clark County Water Reclamation District to produce a video related to safe cooking and proper oil disposal, the news release noted. Sinks and water pipes can become clogged if grease and cooking oil are poured down the drain. The video can be found on YouTube.
People who are interested in the Water Reclamation District's Pain in the Drain campaign can visit www.cleanwaterteam.com for more information.
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