SIKESTON -- Thanksgiving is a day for celebration with family and friends. It's also the day with the highest rate of residential fires. Although residential fires have decreased by 21 percent since 2004, according to the most recent U.S. Fire Administration statistics, nearly four times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any typical day.
Thanksgiving is the peak day for fires, according to the NFPA, followed by Christmas Eve and Christmas. US fire departments responded to about 1,730 cooking fires on Thanksgiving in 2014 -- a 380 percent increase compared country's average daily fires (455.)
With several dishes being prepared at once, it's not easily balanced, but intertwined with the holiday's distractions, it could be a recipe for disaster. Cooking was by far the leading contributor factor in fires (33 percent) and make up of almost half of civilian deaths (49 percent) and injuries (46 percent), according to NFPA statistics.
Cooking equipment was involved in almost half (48 percent) of all reported home fires, according to NFPA, which is why they discourage leaving stove tops unattended and urge caution when using outdoor turkey fryers. In 2014, New Madrid firefighters responded to a call on Thanksgiving when a turkey fryer caused a fire to a residential home because it was too close to the house, according to the New Madrid Fire Department.
Because turkey fryers use a "substantial quantity of cooking oil at high temperatures," NFPA prefers consumers seek professional establishments to fry their birds or for residents to consider using an oil-less turkey fryer instead.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety tips to prevent fires include:
* Start the holiday cooking with a clean stove and oven. Remove food and grease buildup from burners, stovetop and oven.
* Stay in the kitchen when cooking and don't become distracted by guests.
* Stay in the home when cooking turkey, set a timer and check on it frequently.
* Keep children away from the stove. Preferably use the back burners.
* Keep a flame-resistant oven mitt, potholder or lid nearby to smother any flames.
* For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
* Have working smoke alarms in the home and have an escape plan that the entire family knows if there is a fire. (Gamewell fire alarm panels were recalled earlier this year because it either failed to alert of fire, smoke or carbon monoxide, according to US Consumer Product Safety Commission.)
Residents should also be cautious of where they place their candles. While they may smell good and look pretty, candles also account for about 15,600 residential fires a year, according to NFPA, causing 150 deaths, 1,270 injuries and $539 million in property damage. More than half of candle fires started because they were too close to flammable holiday decorations.
"If you're not there, blow the candle out," said Sergeant Rick Colbert, fire marshal for Sikeston. He gave a similar caution about wax heaters.
"Last year we had one or two fires that were attributed to wax heaters," said Colbert. "If you're going to leave the room for any amount of time, turn it off... If something malfunctions, it wouldn't take long for a fire to build."
Colbert said a fire typically doubles in size every minute, giving residents 10-15 minutes to exit the building. But because households are now full of petroleum products, its actually much faster -- about "half of that time."
Colbert also mentioned they get a lot of calls due to extension cable overload. "When weather gets cooler," he said, space heaters become popular. "When you run a light weight extension cord with heater, you're pulling too many amps," said Colbert, adding that it can start a fire if overheated and if it conducts heat, plug it into an electric outlet.
In June, 360, three models of surge protectors were recalled, Idealist (360320), Idealist 2.4 (360321) and Agent (360322). The 10,300 units sold were recalled due to shock and fire hazardous, according to the CPSC.
"Anything you're going to use within regularity needs to be plugged straight into an outlet," he said.
After the big feast is over, travel is sure to follow.
"The long Thanksgiving weekend is an opportunity for people to visit family and friends, which oftentimes means more drivers on the road," MSHP Superintendent Colonel J. Bret Johnson said in a press release.
During last year's Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 13 people were killed and another 627 were injured in 1,817 traffic crashes, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
MSHP will participate in Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) as an effort to decrease traffic crashes during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Troopers will be assigned at 20-mile intervals along Interstates 29, 35, 44, 55 and 70, as well as U.S. Highways 60 and 63.
"It's important that everyone pay attention while they're driving," said Johnson, advising civilians stay off their phones, seek a designated driver if drinking and to wear their seat belts.