As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, the Marietta Fire Department would like to remind everyone of the need to practice fire safety, particularly in the kitchen, moving through this holiday and onto the winter holiday season:    

• Be sure that your address numbers are easily visible from the street
• Ensure that you have working smoke alarms in your house, and test them using the test button
• Never leave cooking unattended, and be sure to check all items frequently
• Turn pot and pan handles to the sides to avoid children or pets grabbing them
• Make sure that knives, and electrical cords for appliances or powered knives are out of reach of children or pets
• If you have lit candles or fire in the fireplace, make sure that there is someone in the room with them.  Never leave small children or pets alone in rooms with lit candles.

Deep frying turkeys can be very dangerous if not done properly. Here are some safety tips for frying turkeys:

1. Measure the amount of oil before heating to make sure that your turkey will not cause the oil to overflow onto the flame
2. Gas fueled cookers should only ever be used outdoors, 10 feet from anything combustible
3. Gas fueled cookers heat cooking oil to very high temperatures, the oil vapors are flammable, and burns from splatters are possible
4. Be sure that your turkey is completely thawed before placing into the hot cooking oil
5. If you have a fire, immediately call 9-1-1

For more Fire Safety tips, please visit the Marietta Fire Department on the web or call 770-794-5450.