As many people in Acadiana and across the country prepare delicious meals for Thanksgiving, it's important to make sure you're taking extra precautions to keep everyone safe.
Alton Trahan, Public Information Officer (P.I.O.) of the Lafayette Fire Department, says the department is equipped and prepared for anything that may happen.
"I think the number one thing is make sure you don't overfill the pot with oil because if you do so, and the turkey is inserted, once it overflows, then that's when you're going to have the fire," Trahan said.
But there are certain things to know when frying turkeys or other foods during the Thanksgiving holiday.
"So there are proper procedures when frying turkeys: number 1, it has to be thawed out fully. You don't want to put a wet turkey inside of hot grease because water and grease doesn't mix. It has a reaction to it, and then you want to make sure you're inserting it slowly into the pot when you're frying it so that you can start the whole process. You don't want to just drop it because it can make the oil inside just kind of overflow,” Trahan explained.
According to officials, there were 74 cooking fires last year. That number is expected to increase during the holiday.
Trahan says it's important to monitor things like burning candles or loose clothing near stoves that could cause burns.
"The number one thing we find out through the investigation is that people leave the kitchen while the burner is on. That's why we want to encourage everyone to never leave the kitchen while it's cooking. Leave someone there if it's not you, like an adult so they could monitor everything,” Trahan said.
But in the case of any small fires, here's what Trahan says you should do.
"Prevent fire by not having a combustible, like a towel or mitten, but if you have a fire a fire extinguisher is always a good thing to have to help extinguish a fire, but also a lid. Fire needs oxygen; we know that if you place the lid on top of a pot it will remove the oxygen, and the fire is going to go out."
If in any danger, be sure to call 9-1-1 for emergencies.
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