By Tara Fischer
Staff Writer
The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department cautions residents to practice cooking and Christmas tree safety as the holidays quickly approach.
OPVFD President Joe Enste warned the community at the Saturday, Nov. 23 OPA Board of Directors meeting that cooking is the “leading cause of home fires during the holidays” and that extra precautions should be taken as Thanksgiving nears.
Some tips include staying in the kitchen while preparing food, such as frying, grilling, or baking.
“If you’ve got a kitchen appliance on, you should stay near it, so if there is a problem, you can act accordingly,” Enste said.
Anything flammable, like kitchen towels and potholders, should be kept away from heat. Placing groceries on top of a stovetop should also be avoided so as to not turn the knob accidentally and then “have melted plastic and bread burning on the stove.”
Enste urged residents to be extra mindful if using a turkey fryer to prepare the bird this Thursday. The fryer should be far away from the house, or anything else combustible, and the turkey should be fully thawed.
“Anytime you put frozen turkey right in a fryer, you are going to create a reaction that will cause it to instantly boil over, catch on fire, and cause many problems, so please be careful with that,” Enste said. “There are lots of injuries and accidents that happen every year around turkey fryers. We will be putting out videos this week on social media about turkey fryer safety, so please feel free to check that out.”
The fire president noted that live Christmas trees can also lead to fire hazards. To mitigate the risk, Enste emphasized that the trees must be watered leading up to the holiday and after, “as long as it is up,” to prevent drying out, which can lead to a dangerous reaction when combined with the light decorations.
“If it starts to get dried out, it takes very little for that tree to go up in a matter of seconds,” Enste said. “The drier that tree gets, the more dangerous it is. A tree can go up in about 30 seconds to a minute just from a little spark when it gets super dry.”
The trees should also be kept at least three feet away from fireplaces and space heaters. Additionally, Christmas tree and wreath lights must be UL-rated, meaning Underwriters Laboratories have tested them for fire and electrical safety.
“A lot of folks just go on Amazon and purchase lights, and it seems like a great deal; however, not all things are created equal, and they are not always meeting the United States standard for safety,” the fire department representative said.
It is recommended that a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket, or similar protection measures be kept on hand to avoid potentially deadly situations.
Rounding out his update, Enste added that the OPVFD is continuing its fundraising initiatives. The truck raffle, in which the winner will receive a Ford F-150, will conclude with the drawing on Dec. 21 at the North Station’s train garden following the community’s Santa Ride. To enter, tickets are $100.
The Queen of Hearts fundraiser is ongoing, and the jackpot is up to $53,555. Tickets can be purchased weekly for $5 each. The jackpot winner, who will receive 60% of the accumulated money, must pick the Queen of Hearts from the raffle board. If the space is not drawn, the pot rolls over to the next week, and all names from the previous week are discarded.