More fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day

November 19, 2015 4:22 pm

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, more fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Of those fires, most are caused by cooking. Fall River Deputy Fire Chief Roger St. Martin says it’s not only a risk for the home, but also the homeowner.

"I have been to fires where one of the residents had a loose-fitting shirt, and when she reached over the stove to grab something from the cabinet, her shirt caught fire and she had substantial burns up her torso," says Chief St. Martin.

He says fires can start many ways, including unattended cooking, or cooking with a deep fryer.

"They are somewhat dangerous. It’s like having a big, deep, fat grease fry-a-lator. There is an open flame. You have a flammable liquid, and if the turkey is too big it can displace some of the liquid fluid and you can have a grease fire," he adds.

The National Fire Protection Association discourages the use of turkey fryers. They say they are not safe for anyone, even those who have experience using them, saying they can cause burns and other injuries as well as damage to your home.

While thanksgiving is the one day of the year with the most fires, Christmas is second.