The Arizona Republic

Don’t let your Thanksgivi­ng feast go up in smoke

- Rent Smart Courtney Gilstrap LeVinus Guest Columnist The Arizona Multihousi­ng Associatio­n is the statewide trade associatio­n for the apartment industry, representi­ng more than 2,000 members in legislativ­e, legal and regulatory matters.

Preparing a large Thanksgivi­ng meal can be very stressful. There is so much to prepare and not enough time to prepare it all. Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in preparing everything that we forget to take something out of the oven.

Not only can this ruin your meal, it could potentiall­y start a fire. This is why, according to the National Fire Prevention Associatio­n, Thanksgivi­ng is the most common day for home fires involving cooking equipment.

Before you start cooking, you may want to test your smoke detector. Just hit the button on the detector to make sure the battery is working. This is especially important for those who leave their turkeys in the oven overnight.

You want to make sure your smoke alarm is working properly. Knowing the location of your smoke detectors comes in handy, especially if you have a kitchen mishap. If your smoke detector gets triggered, you can always turn it off until the issue is resolved.

Since Thanksgivi­ng dinner is usually a large and involved meal to prepare, it’s always good to have a fire extinguish­er on hand just in case. Accidents happen, so it’s important to be prepared and have the tool to handle any situation.

Most apartment communitie­s provide residents with a fire extinguish­er. Be sure to check your apartment before you purchase one yourself. It’s also important to check the expiration date on your extinguish­er because they do expire.

If you are cooking and notice a fire in your oven, leave the oven door closed and turn your oven off. Opening the door will help feed the fire so keep it closed. If you notice something has spilled and your oven is starting to smoke, turn the oven off and let it cool down. If your apartment is getting smoky you may want to open some windows and doors to help move the air.

This Thanksgivi­ng, take precaution­s to keep your family and your apartment home safe.

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Keep safety in mind so things don’t get too hot in the kitchen.
GETTY IMAGES Keep safety in mind so things don’t get too hot in the kitchen.
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