Thanksgiving is a great time to gather around a hearty holiday meal, and most families choose to cook at home. With all the hustle and bustle of a full household and preparing a large meal, it’s no wonder that the risk of kitchen fires increases. Burn injuries caused by kitchen explosions and kitchen fires occur more often than people realize. To stay safe on Thanksgiving, it is important to understand why Thanksgiving cooking leads to an increase in home fires, and how to protect yourself if you suffer a burn injury.
If you or a loved one suffers an injury from a Thanksgiving Day cooking accident, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim. A local personal injury attorney can review your case and discuss your legal rights and possible next steps.
5 Holiday Cooking Fire Facts
- Is Thanksgiving the largest percentage of cooking fires? Unfortunately, yes, Thanksgiving is the number one day for home cooking fires throughout the year. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home cooking fires occur nearly three times more often on Thanksgiving than on an average day. Cooking fires can lead to costly property damage, severe burn injuries, and even fatalities.
- What is the number of cooking fires on Thanksgiving? An estimated 1,446 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving Day in 2023.
- On average, every year between 2019 and 2023, cooking accounted for 80 percent of all U.S. home fires on Thanksgiving Day and 40 percent of civilian injuries.
- According to the Red Cross, leaving food unattended is the leading cause of holiday cooking fires.
- Many Thanksgiving cooking fires happen in the late afternoon to early evening, especially between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., when dinner preparations are in full swing.
Why Does Thanksgiving Cooking Increase the Risk of Fire and Burn Injuries?
On Thanksgiving Day, homes and kitchens tend to be full and busy, with hosts preparing multiple dishes on the stove and in the oven in addition to greeting guests and kids and pets running around. With all the chaos, comes the risk of distraction, which is one of the top causes of cooking fires.
Other common risks for Thanksgiving cooking injuries include:
- Appliance malfunctions. When ovens, pressure cookers, or wiring aren’t properly maintained or are manufactured with defects, they can malfunction and cause fires or explosions.
- Grease fires. Grease fires often erupt when hot oil overflows or splashes and ignites, which is especially common when turkeys are fried improperly. These fires spread quickly and become far more dangerous if water is used to extinguish them.
- Contact burns. In a crowded kitchen, the combination of boiling water, hot pans, and bubbling food creates a high risk of burns for guests and children.
Most, if not all, Thanksgiving cooking injuries are preventable. Being aware of common hazards can help reduce the chances of an accident.
Who’s Liable for Thanksgiving Cooking Injuries?
When an injury is caused by someone else’s negligence, the question becomes who is liable and can a settlement be recovered? Here are some common defendants in home cooking fire injury cases:
- Property Owners
A property owner could be held liable for a home cooking fire injury in a few scenarios, such as if they failed to maintain appliances properly, ignored known fire hazards like faulty wiring, or allowed unsafe building conditions that directly contributed to the injury.
- Manufacturers
If an appliance or kitchen tool catches fire, explodes, or fails in a dangerous way during normal use, the manufacturer may be liable under state product liability laws.
- Negligent Hosts
If a host mishandles flammable items, allows small children to get too close to hot appliances, or otherwise creates unsafe conditions, they may be liable for injuries that result from a holiday cooking fire.
Seek the Help of a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! Since 1979, our personal injury law firm, Tario & Associates, P.S., has been dedicated to fighting for the rights of people injured throughout Washington State, with local offices in Bellingham and Mount Vernon to serve residents of Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and Snohomish counties. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
