Fire insurance claims break records on Thanksgiving Day

Holiday Mayhem - Thanksgiving turkey’s go up in smoke!

Insurers are cautioning Americans to take some simple safety precautions this year.

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday that represents togetherness, family, and giving thanks for all of the things with which we have been blessed in our lives, but it is also the time of year that inevitably leads to the highest number of fire insurance claims.

Studies have shown that fire departments can receive up to three times the typical number of calls on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving turkey fire insurance claimsThe reason is that there are many Thanksgiving activities that involve an increased risk of sparks, particularly when it comes to cooking. Deep frying is one of the leading causes of fire insurance claims. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you need to stop deep frying your bird, but it does mean that there are some added safety steps that can be taken in order to make sure that the turkey doesn’t end up causing damage to your home or property or, worse, injuring someone.

The following safety steps are being recommended to help to reduce the chances of having to make fire insurance claims.

Cooking accidents can be very dangerous, particularly when they involve oil. With the growing popularity of deep frying a turkey, it means that those cooking in this way need to be very aware of the ways in which to use this method safely. Some of the most common mistakes include using too much oil, positioning the fryer to close to appliances or walls, or dropping a turkey that is still completely or partially frozen into the oil.

The following safety tips can help you to avoid problems relating to those situations:

• Deep fry a turkey outside in a large space where any sparks or splatters will not be able to reach structures such as a home, deck, or trees or shrubbery.
• Be certain that the surface upon which the deep fryer is positioned is flat.
• Never leave the deep fryer unattended.
• Use the right amount of oil, keeping in mind that the turkey, itself, will displace the level by a considerable amount. Carefully and safely remove excess oil if too much has been added to the deep fryer.
• Make sure that the turkey is fully thawed before it is immersed in the oil
• Never use oil for cooling down oil or extinguishing a fire, this only worsens the problem and increases the risk of having to file fire insurance claims.

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