Seattle.gov Fireline Blog Seattle Fire Department Thanksgiving safety – a few words about cooking, frying turkeys, and choking November 22, 2021 by William Mace The Seattle Fire Department reminds residents to be safe while cooking and gathering this holiday season. Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking-related fires in the U.S. Unattended cooking is by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. Other holiday-related home fires involve heating and electrical sources. How to be safe in the kitchen Check on food regularly while cooking and set timers – unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove. Remove flammables such as towels, oven mitts and food packaging away from the stove top. If a fire starts on the stove top, cover it with a lid or metal cookie sheet and turn the stove off. Do not throw water on a grease fire. If you experience a fire beyond the pan that has spread, get outside of the home or apartment and call 9-1-1 immediately. Check out these cooking safety videos in several languages and American Sign Language A word about turkey frying If you are considering frying a turkey, be very careful. Large quantities of hot cooking oil can pose a significant fire and serious burn risk. Watch this video from the National Fire Protection Association about turkey fryers. Thanksgiving safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) How to respond to someone choking If someone appears to have food lodged in their throat and is coughing, encourage them to continue coughing. Do not try to help by slapping their back. If they are coughing, that means that air is getting through. However, if the person shows signs of choking such as not being able to breathe, cough, or speak, is making high pitched sounds when breathing or they are doing the universal sign of holding the throat with one or both hands, choking rescue abdominal thrusts will be necessary. If displaying any of the above signs, ask person if they can speak. If they can speak, allow them to continue coughing, unassisted. If they are unable to speak or breathe, proceed with abdominal thrusts to help them. Watch this video to learn how to give abdominal thrusts. Position your leg between person’s legs, to better catch them if they become unconscious and fall. Make a fist with one hand Put the thumb side a little above the bellybutton Take free hand and grasp fist and push hard and quick upward into abdomen area Continue thrusts until object is expelled, or when person is able to breathe, cough, or talk. If person becomes unconscious, call 9-1-1 and begin CPR Always follow up with a medical professional Filed Under: Fire Line Tagged With: 2021, choking, cooking fire safety, Public Education, Thanksgiving Visit our Website CATEGORIES Categories Select Category COVID-19 CPR Diversity electric blanket Events Fire Line Battalion 2 (Downtown) Battalion 3 (Medic One) Battalion 4 (NW Seattle) Battalion 5 (SE Seattle) Battalion 6 (NE Seattle) Battalion 7 (W Seattle) Community Events Fire Levy Fire Prevention Fires Medic Responses Public Education Rescues Training History Line of Duty Death News Release Promotions Publications ARCHIVES Archives Select Month November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 Fireline Home - RSS Feed - Log in ADA Notice Notice of Nondiscrimination Privacy © 2021 City of Seattle