City of Las Cruces PIO Dan Trujillo shares some important tips for avoiding tragedy this holiday season. Here is a transcript of his conversation with KC Counts:
KC Counts:
It’s the biggest cooking holiday of the year, and people do tend to have an accident in the kitchen from time to time, Dan. And I just want to talk a little bit about some safety tips that people can employ to make sure that they’re not having to call the fire department on Thanksgiving.
Dan Trujillo:
Yes. That’s something that we, the type of call we definitely don’t want to respond to. We will, the fire department will, but especially because we may have a lot of family in from out of town, it’s an exciting time, and we don’t want to ruin that time by having a fire.
KC Counts:
Right, so we’ve got things in the oven for long periods of time and is that kind of where issues center, is in the kitchen?
Dan Trujillo:
That’s part of it. So, one of the things we recommend is wherever you’re cooking, if it’s inside, in the oven, or outside – a lot of people use propane stoves and fry a turkey. Whatever you’re doing, make sure to start off with a clean area that’s clutter-free and that way that’ll help limit the fire if one should occur. But here’s the thing – is that Using propane and hot oil outdoors causes some problems for several reasons. One, a lot of times people will fill up the pot with too much oil, and then when they place the turkey inside, the oil will boil over. When hot oil boils over and touches the flame, that causes a fire. If that cooker were to be underneath the back porch, which it shouldn’t be, but if it is, then obviously, then we have a bigger problem.
KC Counts:
I think we’ve all seen the spectacular videos of frying turkeys gone wrong, right?
Dan Trujillo:
Yes, exactly. And you know, we don’t want to see that up close and personal. So again, make sure to read all the directions that come with the cooking unit that you’re using. And especially if it’s going to be one of these propane and hot oil fryers.
KC Counts:
At this point, can you say, are we seeing more of those types of incidents that occur outdoors than we are indoors?
Dan Trujillo:
Yeah, I would say so. And to be honest, we really don’t see a lot of them here in Las Cruces, and we’re thankful for that. But when we do get a call, yes, that’s one of the things we get called to. Somebody cooking too close to the house, underneath a porch, or which also is dangerous, on a wooden deck. Because when that hot oil burns over and touches a flame and then you have a deck fire, that increases the likelihood of causing significant damage to your home.
KC Counts:
And talk about what people need to know about a grease fire and how to respond. Obviously calling 911, but other things that will help you stay fire safe include not using water on that, right.
Dan Trujillo:
Yep, that’s right. Water and grease do not work together very kindly. So we recommend, first of all, if you’re going to have several people there at your home, so have somebody call 911 immediately. And then while that’s happening, somebody else should be manning a fire extinguisher and taking direct aim at that fire.
KC Counts:
And of course, earlier this month, we had the time change and that’s the time when our fire departments remind us to go and check our smoke alarms and make sure those tools are working and also maybe check those fire extinguishers to make sure they’re charged and ready to go. What’s the best way to go about that?
Dan Trujillo:
Yeah, so, you know, fire extinguishers usually have a date, best use by date on them. Make sure that the fire extinguisher you have is up to date. And also, it’s kind of – shouldn’t be said, but it has to be, make sure you know where that fire extinguisher is, because a lot of times people will not know where it is. So, make sure it’s in an area that can be easily found. And again, do not hesitate to use it.
KC Counts:
All right. What other tips do you have for fire safety this season? We’ve talked a lot about the biggest cooking day of the year, but temperatures are getting colder as well. And so, people are looking for those alternative sources for heat.
Dan Trujillo:
Yeah, and that’s right. A lot of times people will use portable heaters. If you’re using this heater for the first time, make sure it’s in good shape. Make sure it’s clean. Make sure that you’re plugging it in directly to a wall outlet. Do not plug it in to an extension cord, which could cause the cord to actually heat up and cause a fire. And we’ve had at least one fire that I know of where that was the case. Somebody plugged in a heater, portable heater, to an extension cord, and that extension cord overheated and started a fire. So that’s one of the problems. But another thing we have this time of year is people setting up their Christmas decorations and using too many lights on one outlet, or, again, using an extension cord to light up multiple lights. So, make sure to follow the guidelines with the lights and the electrical cords that you’re using, and let’s have a safe and happy Christmas season.
KC Counts:
Any advice on how to know if your outlet is going to handle what you’re plugging into it?
Dan Trujillo:
Yeah, you know, if there were only two outlets on the outlet, then only use those two appliances or light cords on that. That’s the safest thing to do.
KC Counts:
Don’t plug in the power strip with 18 places. Ok.
Dan Trujillo:
Yeah, we don’t want this to be like that Christmas vacation movie.
KC Counts:
No. All right. What else do you recommend before I let you go or maybe a place to direct people to go for more information?
Dan Trujillo:
Yeah, so one other thing to mention is if you’re using a cut Christmas tree, make sure it’s freshly cut and make sure the needles are still green. And when you set it in the Christmas tree stand, make sure that stand has water so the tree will stay lively for much longer than the Christmas season lasts. Because we’re going to be placing a lot of lights on this tree. We don’t want it to dry out and of course catch fire.
KC Counts:
All right, Dan Trujillo, Public Information Officer for the City of Las Cruces, thanks so much for helping us stay safe this holiday season.
Dan Trujillo:
Thank you.
Dining and Cooking