Holiday Cooking Safety Tips

Grilling

When the warmer weather hits, there’s nothing better than the smell of food on the grill.

Seven out of every 10 adults in the U.S. have a grill or smoker*, which translates to a lot of tasty meals. But it also means there’s an increased risk of home fires.

In 2017-2021, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 11,421 home** fires involving grills, hibachis, or barbecues per year, including an average of 5,763 structure fires and 5,659 outside or unclassified fires.

Grilling fire facts
  • July (16%) was the peak month for grill fires, followed by June (14%), May (12%) and August (11%).  
  • In 2017-2021, an average of 22,155 patients per year went to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills.*** Nearly half (10,342 or 47%) of the injuries were thermal burns, including both burns from fire and from contact with hot objects; 6,074 thermal burns, per year, were caused by such contact or other non-fire events.
  • Children under five accounted for an average 2,820 or 46%, of the contact-type burns, per year.  These burns typically occurred when someone, often a child, bumped into, touched or fell on the grill, grill part or hot coals. Keep children away from the grill.
  • Gas grills were involved in an average of 9,079 home fires per year, including 4,454 structure fires and 4,625 outdoor fires annually. Leaks or breaks were primarily a problem with gas grills. 6% of gas grill structure fires and 15% of outside gas grill fires were caused by leaks or breaks. 
  • Charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in 1,440 home fires per year, including 754 structure fires and 686 outside fires annually.


Thanksgiving is the holiday that brings people together with the family dinner being the highlight of the day. The United
States Fire Administration estimates more than 2,000 residential fires are reported each Thanksgiving, with cooking (69%) the
leading cause. Use these tips to help keep your holiday safe.

  • Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended.
  • Keep the cooking range free of clutter. Even though you have myriad dishes to prepare, don’t overload a cook top with too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all your dishes at once could cause grease to accidentally spill onto a range top and cause a fire.
  • Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy while cooking. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on a flame-resistant oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until the food has cooled.
  • When removing lids on hot pans, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam. If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.
  • Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.
  • Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.
  • Unplug small appliances that aren’t in use. Not only will you save the energy, but you will also avoid the potential dangers if they were to be turned on accidentally.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is UL listed and rated for grease and electrical fires.
  • Avoid using a turkey fryer. Because turkey fryers pose a number of distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards. If you still choose to fry your turkey, follow these safety guidelines recommended by Consumer Safety Product Commission:
    • Keep fryer in FULL VIEW while burner is on
    • Place fryer in an open area AWAY from all walls, fences, or other structures
    • Never use IN, ON, or UNDER a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or any structure that can catch fire
    • Raise and lower food SLOWLY to reduce splatter and avoid burns
    • COVER bare skin when adding or removing food
    • Check the oil temperature frequently
    • If oil begins to smoke, immediately turn gas supply OFF
    • If a fire occurs, immediately call 911. DO NOT attempt to extinguish fire with water
    • Above all, just apply your own common sense around safety in the kitchen. If in doubt about something, always err on the side of caution.

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