Holiday House Fires

11/23/2020 (Permalink)

Thanksgiving comes around every year like clockwork, and every year there are new cases of cooking-related fires, and a majority of them are related to pressure cookers. Pressure cooking is the process of using high-pressure steam for cooking food using water or a water-based cooking liquid such as broth, in a sealed vessel. This method cooks food significantly quicker than most other methods. The high pressure allows for cooking temperatures well above 212 degrees and limits all around boiling. In many cases of cooking-related house fires, people were not following pressure cooking safety guidelines. Between 2014 and 2018, in the U.S., fire departments responded to 172,900 home fires started by cooking. These fires caused an average of 550 deaths and 4,820 injuries. This led to more than $1 billion in property damage each year.  During Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays alone, house fires peak due to negligence and unsafe cooking environments. It's important to be aware of your surroundings while cooking. Although SERVPRO of South Cabarrus County can restore your home "Like it never even happened," we would prefer for everyone to be safe and enjoy the holiday season.