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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2024 Page 21 State Fire Marshal: Serve Up Safety on Thanksgiving S TOW—As you ready to prepare tomorrow’s ThanksMore Residential Fires Take Place on Thanksgiving Than Any Other Day • Keep pot handles turned inState Fire Marshal Davine ofgiving meal, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine is asking residents to practice fire safety in the kitchen on the number one day for home fires in Massachusetts. “There are about twice as many fires on Thanksgiving as on the next-closest day, and almost all of them start with unsafe cooking,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “Don’t let a fire ruin this special day with your family and loved ones. Practice fire safety when cooking and heating your home, and be sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that can alert you to danger.” Thanksgiving Cooking Fires There were 705 Thanksgiving Day residential fires in Massachusetts from 2019 to 2023. That’s more than double the 318 residential fires on Christmas Eve, the second-leading day. Last year, Thanksgiving cooking fires increased by more than 25%, from 103 to 130, with 84% taking place at home. These fires injured one resident and one firefighter and caused $1.3 million in reported damages. fered cooking safety tips that everyone can follow to stay fire-safe in the kitchen this year: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms Save Lives • Be sure you have working smoke and CO alarms on every level of your home • Check the manufacturing date printed on the back of the alarms: smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and CO alarms should be replaced after 5-10 years depending on the model • Never disable a smoke alarm: modern smoke alarms should have a “hush” feature that is much safer than removing the batteries • If your alarms take alkaline batteries, replace the batteries twice a year: if you aren’t sure when they were last replaced, do it today Keep it Clean: • Clean up grease spills • Keep groceries, food packaging, towels, and other flammable materials away from the stovetop ward to prevent spills • Create a three-foot childfree zone around the stove • Only use the oven for cooking, not for heating or storage, and be sure it’s empty before you turn it on Stand by Your Pan • Stay in the kitchen when boiling, broiling, or frying food • Set a timer when baking or roasting so you don't lose track of time • Loose sleeves can ignite if they get too close to burners or heating elements: wear clothing with short or tight-fitting sleeves Put a Lid on It • In the event of a fire on the stovetop, cover the pan with a lid or cookie sheet to smother the flames • Never try to move a burning pan or douse it with water • For a fire in the oven or microwave, leave the door closed, turn off the appliance, and call the fire department • Have the appliance professionally checked before using it after a fire • If you can't extinguish the fire quickly, get to safety and call 9-1-1 • If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop, and roll to put out the flames. Put burns in cool running water for 10-15 minutes. Call 9-1-1 for help. Turkey Fryers A devastating turkey fryer fire in New Bedford caused severe injuries and displaced almost 30 people in 2020. Fire safety experts strongly discourage the use of outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers that immerse the turkey in hot oil. There are no outdoor turkey fryers that have a listing from an independent testing laboratory such as UL or ETL, and the risk of hot oil spilling or igniting is high. The National Fire Protection Association states that home use of “turkey fryers that use cooking oil, as currently designed, are not suitable for safe use by even a well-informed and careful consumer.” They recommend using new “oil-less” turkey fryers. Gas Ovens: A Source of Carbon Monoxide Generally, the confined space of a closed gas oven does not produce enough carbon monoxide (CO) to present any dangers, but it can present a hazard if used for several hours consecutively – such as when roasting a turkey. If you have a kitchen exhaust fan, use it; if not, crack a window for fresh air when using the gas oven for a prolonged period. Working CO alarms are vitally important to protect you and your loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning. Home Heating: #1 Source of Carbon Monoxide, #2 Cause of Fires Heating is the second leading cause of fires on Thanksgiving and the primary source of carbon monoxide in the home. Give your furnace an annual check-up, have chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional at the beginning of heating season, and place space heaters on flat, lever surfaces where in locations where they won’t be bumped or tripped over. Keep a threefoot “circle of safety” free of anything that can burn around all heat sources. MBTA Announces On-Street Opportunities for Riders to Learn about the December 15 Launch of Phase 1 of Bus Network Redesign The MBTA continues to get ready for the Phase 1 launch of Bus Network Redesign. In addition to new signage and information already available onsite, MBTA staff will be in person December 5 – 20 at key bus stops and stations to answer questions from riders. B OSTON – The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign is a maThis notice serves as a reminder of the previously announced launch of Phase 1 of Bus Network Redesign. Beginning next week and jor initiative aimed at improving bus service reliability, frequency, and connectivity throughout the region. The initiative’s first phase will go live on December 15. Phase 1 will launch four new Frequent Bus Routes by increasing service on Route 86, Route 104, Route 109, Route 110, and Route 116/117 in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Malden, Somerville, Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, and East Boston. through December 20, MBTA staff will be available at many bus stops along the routes that will be experiencing changes and at the following stations: • Malden Center • Wonderland • Maverick • Airport • Sullivan Square • Harvard Staff will assist riders by answering questions and helping them navigate their routes, stops, and schedules as well as distributing materials available in 12 languages. MBTA teams will be at locations generally Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 9:30 AM and 3:30 to 5:30 PM with additional timeslots to be determined. Interpreters will be available at many stations. Many Phase 1 Materials Are Available The MBTA’s December outreach builds on engagement in November to bring awareness and information to riders at key bus stops impacted by the improvements. More than 25 tabling and station events provided answers to thousands of rider questions and shared resources in multiple languages. Schedules for specific bus routes impacted by these changes are now available online as a PDF at mbta. com on the Phase 1 Service webpage. In addition, the MBTA has developed a number of community and individual resources to assist riders in navigating these changes, including rider booklets and flyers. The Phase 1 Rider Booklet is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Italian, Vietnamese, and Khmer. The graphic booklet describes why and how routes are changing and improving. It includes easy-to-read route maps and schedules. MBTA | SEE PAGE 27

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