by Fire Chief Mik Preysz

We at Orcas Island Fire and Rescue want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving! That being said we also want to recognize that Thanksgiving is the peak day or the year for in home cooking fires. Keep these tips in mind.

• Don’t leave cooking unattended, even within the oven.

• Keep children away from the stove or very closely attended if they are helping to cook the family meal.

• Keep the floor in the kitchen clear and dry to prevent slips, trips, and falls.

• Mind electrical cords and keep them from dangling off of counters and clear of heat sources and water.

• Refrain from leaving light candles unattended.

• OIFR does not endorse the use of turkey fryers but if you must fry your Thanksgiving meal, use caution and do plenty of research as to how to go about frying a turkey in the safest manner possible.

As we move into colder months, are some additional tips.

– Have chimneys checked by a professional and cleaned if necessary

– Never burn trash in your wood stove

– Clean out ashes when cool and place into a metal container

– Make sure smoke alarms are working and placed in the same room as stove and within or adjacent to sleeping areas. (OIFR provides smoke alarms and batteries to residences in need of them.)

– Install a CO detector within your home to monitor Carbon Monoxide levels within the home.

– Talk with your family about exit routes from the home and practice a pre-fire plan, making sure each person understands two ways to get out of the house and where to meet in the yard in case of an emergency.

– Check portable heaters for a seal of approval from an independent testing laboratory and make sure the unit has an automatic shut-off.

– Ensure that flammable materials are not in direct contact with any heating unit, including baseboard heaters.

– Have fire extinguishers in areas where burning materials are or near heating units.

– Always have an experienced electrician install or modify hard-wired heating units in your home.