As West Michigan heads into one of its busiest cooking weeks of the year, the Grand Rapids Fire Department is reminding all of us to slow down, pay attention, and keep Thanksgiving safer than the average Thursday night dinner.
You may not know that Thanksgiving is the number-one day for kitchen fires across the country. And here in Grand Rapids, kitchen fire mishaps made up more than a quarter of all structure fires last year. It’s a pattern firefighters see every holiday season: too many dishes going at once, too many people in the house, and just enough distraction to let something get out of control.
According to GRFD, the biggest issue is simple but completely preventable: Don’t walk away from what’s cooking.
If you’re frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling, someone responsible should stay right there in the kitchen. A pot boiling over or a pan that gets too hot can go from manageable to dangerous fast, especially when kids, guests, or a constantly buzzing timer pull your attention away.
If you’ve got something simmering or roasting and don’t need to hover, at least stay on the same floor so you can respond quickly if something starts to smoke or smell off…