Thanksgiving and Fire Insurance

15 Nov Thanksgiving and Fire Insurance

Thanksgiving Can Get Hot

According to the U.S Fire Administration, An estimated 2,100 residential building fires were reported to fire departments in the United States on Thanksgiving Day last year and caused ten deaths, 50 injuries and around $28 million in property loss. The average number of reported residential building fires on Thanksgiving Day is more than double the average number of fires in homes on all days other than Thanksgiving.

Cooking fires in residential buildings occur more often on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year. Cooking was the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings at 72 percent, with heating being the second cause. Thanksgiving Day fires occur most frequently from noon to 3 p.m, when people were most likely preparing Thanksgiving Dinner.

Safety in the kitchen is important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there’s a lot of activity and people at home. The following tips will help prevent you from being involved in a fire on one of the best holidays of the year:

• Stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey.
• Long sleeves and loose clothing should be avoided.
• Keep anything that can catch on fire including pot holders, oven mitts, paper bags, plastic bags, wooden utensils, food packaging, and towels away from the stove or any appliance that is generating heat.
• Clean surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.
• Keep children and pets away from the stove.
• Make sure children stay away from hot food and liquids to prevent burns.
• Keep the floor clear, so you don’t trip over toys, purses, or bags.
• Make sure that electric cords are not dangling off of the counter.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working.
• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
• Always check the kitchen before going to bed.
• Turkey fryers should always be outdoors and be a safe distance from all buildings.
• Never use a turkey fryer in a garage or a wooden deck.
• Do not overfill your turkey fryer.
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Remember that oil and water do not mix.

Keeping this tips in mind may prevent the flames in your home, but you can never predict when a disaster might strike. Standard home insurance policies cover damage caused by fire, lightning, smoke, vandalism, theft and other perils. However, when a home is damaged in a fire, it’s usually considered to be a total loss. Not only is the dwelling itself damaged to the degree that it must be repaired or rebuilt before it is considered habitable, but smoke and water damage will have likely destroyed the personal contents inside. AWS insurance provides fire insurance protection coverage for residential and commercial properties as well as individual and group policies. We offer unparalleled coverage in homeowner’s insurance to help protect you in the case of a disaster: even on Thanksgiving.