Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, with more than three times the daily average for these incidents, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),
The NFPA’s most recent data from Thanksgiving in 2022 shows there were about 1,446 home cooking fires reported to U.S. fire departments, which is 388% of the daily average.
The American Red Cross of Colorado said from the end of November to December, the organization has responded to 20% more home fires. 44% of all fires in Colorado are a result of a cooking fire, the Red Cross said.
“One in five people, the Red Cross assists after a home fire that happened during those holidays months. And we really it's a lot about that cooking,” John Seward from the American Red Cross of Colorado said. “In November and December, 2024 American Red Cross, Colorado, we responded to 65 fires, and we said it's more than 200 people in for comparison."
He said that was a 20% increase from October 2024.
“Last couple of days have been very busy for us, and we haven't even hit those holidays yet, so we expect the next couple of days to be even more busy,” Seward added.
One of the most common mistakes the Red Cross sees not only around the holidays, but throughout the year, is having working smoke detectors.
“We know that smoke detectors actually save lives. They save lives every single day across Colorado and across Wyoming,” Seward said. “Inoperable smoke detectors puts you at risk,” he emphasized.
Seward said holiday decorations also play a part in house fires too.
“With your Christmas trees, you're likely going to put lights on those trees, right? And so you want to make sure that you're not leaving those lights plugged in when you're not at home,” he said. “We see a lot of fires come from the short circuiting in those Christmas lights."
