By Tayleigh Davis - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Only a few more days to go until some of us fill up on those Thanksgiving meals. For some, a little cooking can turn into a big disaster.
Firefighters spend this time of year responding to blazes they say can be avoided. William Lemon is packing food and supplies into his van for a big dinner to feed the hungry. He'll be smoking several hams and turkeys outside for hundreds of people.
"I keep my fire extinguisher around me but I also make sure there are not items around me that will catch fire," Lemon said.
Battalion Chief Kelly Harcrow says it's important for anyone cooking in the kitchen to have the fire extinguisher nearby but not right next to the stove.
"Any of these cabinets where it's in close proximity we can grab it and turn it around to the stove and that would be great," Harcrow said.
Albany Fire crews responded to a house on South Ingleside Drive Sunday where people smelled fire from their stove. It turned out to be a small electrical problem, but Harcrow says stove fires can start very easily.
"The most important for us is to not leave food unattended,"Harcrow said. "You always want to make sure to turn the handles at the back of the stove or the inside of the stove if at all possible."
He says to be cautious not to wear baggy sleeves or other items that may hang too close to the burners because people can come in contact with a heat source which can catch their clothes on fire.
Harcrow says it's important for everyone, including Lemon, to remember these simple and life saving tips this Thanksgiving.
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