Georgia ranked 6th in nation for Thanksgiving Day cooking fires

ATLANTA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Every year, hundreds of homes go up in flames due to cooking fires. The potential for such a hazard goes up significantly on Thanksgiving Day.

According to State Farm spokesman Justin Tomczak, State Farm received an average of 18 claims a day related to cooking fires. That number nearly doubles on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Tomczak said, “We all need to use extra caution in the kitchen leading up to Thanksgiving. There are a lot of distractions, we are often cooking multiple dishes at once, and the chance of a home fire is much higher.”

As the family gathers around the kitchen and the table, here are some tips for cooking safety so you can have a safe and happy holiday season:

– The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. It is important to be alert while cooking.

– Have a “kid free zone” of at least 3 feet around stoves, ovens, grills, and fryers.

– Keep anything that can catch fire – oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, or curtains – away from your stovetop

– Keep an eye out when frying, if the oil is smoking it might be too hot.

– Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water on a kitchen fire.

– Make sure you have working smoke alarms. Keep smoke alarms away from the ktichen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet away from the stove.