Dorchester County firefighters emphasize safety during Thanksgiving meals

LADSON, SC (WCSC) – The Dorchester County Fire Department wants to keep you safe in the kitchen while preparing Thanksgiving dinner for your family.

The holiday is a time when firefighters see a higher than average number of fires in a single day. The National Fire Protection Association reports that there are three times more fires per day than the daily nationwide average.

The main cause of emergencies is unattended cooking. According to the American Red Cross, there are more than 150,000 cooking fires across the country.

Dorchester County fire officials say they’ve seen an increase of up to four percent in cooking fires. Last November, they responded to 29 fire calls.

Dorchester County Deputy Fire Marshal Capt. Matthew Weimann says the most common incidents on holiday emergency calls are stovetop and oil fires. Fires can occur when cooking oil or grease gets too hot and ignites flames on the stove and nearby items.

Weimann reduces the risk by recommending keeping the cooking area clean and flammable materials away.

He also says the steps you take when your cooking goes in the wrong direction are also important.

“Keep that (oven) door closed, turn off the oven, and then you can call 911 at any time and we’ll come out and investigate,” Weimann says. “The biggest thing to do is to never open the oven door or remove the pot lid again. This causes additional air to re-enter, which causes the fire to regrow.”

The county fire and rescue team is part of the South Carolina Fire Safety program. The program allows the department to look at fire statistics to better educate the community about fire safety.

Fire safety starts with having emergency vehicles nearby. Tools include ABC-rated fire extinguishers, fire blankets and pot holders.

“A few of the things we installed were pot holders that said, ‘Do not leave unattended,’ because we realized we were having a lot of cooking fires and fire alarms going off because of pots on the stove smoking,” says Weimann.

Weimann also says the second common call from holiday first responders is drowning. He urges families to eat right, understand safety precautions like the Heimlich Maneuver, and call 911 for help.

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