Cook Safely This Thanksgiving to Prevent Kitchen Fires
November 28, 2013
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is alerting consumers that the threat of fires in the kitchen triples on Thanksgiving Day. From 2009 through 2011, there was an average of about 1,300 cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day. This is more than three times the average daily rate from 2009 through 2011 of about 400 cooking fires a day.
“As fire safety experts have said for years, ‘Stand by your pan!’” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “If you are frying, grilling or broiling food, stay in the kitchen. Not following this advice can be a recipe for disaster on Thanksgiving and throughout the year.” When it comes to fires in the home, cooking fires are number one. They accounted for nearly 150,000 fires (more than 40 percent of all annual unintentional residential fires) each year from 2009 through 2011. Unattended cooking is the top cause of cooking fires. Cooking fires also caused the most home fire-related injuries, with an estimated annual average of nearly 27 percent, or 3,450 injuries each year.
Overall, CPSC estimates an average of 362,300 unintentional residential fires, 2,260 deaths, 12,820 injuries and nearly $7 billion in property damage attended by the fire service occurring each year between 2009 and 2011.
To stay safe in the kitchen, avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves near ranges or ovens, watch children closely so they don’t come into contact with cooking food or hot stovetops, turn pan handles toward the back of the stove to prevent kids and others from spilling a pan’s scalding contents onto themselves.
In the event of a fire, call 911. Cover a pan with a lid to smother the flames. Never pour water or flour on a fire. That can make it worse. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
“Turkey fryer fires can be explosive and result in serious burns,” said Glenn Gaines, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator for the United States Fire Administration (USFA). “Only use a turkey fryer outside and away from your home. Never use it in a garage or on a porch. Don’t overfill the oil or leave the turkey fryer unattended.”
Since 2003, there have been more than 125 turkey fryer-related fires, burns, explosions, smoke inhalations, or laceration incidents reported to CPSC staff. There were 55 injuries among these incidents, but none were fatal. For the incidents reporting a dollar value for the property loss, the total loss reported was around $6 million. Additional incidents involving turkey fryers may have occurred that were not reported to CPSC.
Consumers should also protect themselves by installing smoke alarms in their homes. “Roughly three out of five home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms,” said Jim Shannon, President of the National Fire Protection Association. “Smoke alarms save lives. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a fire in half.”
Change the batteries in smoke alarms at least once every year and test the alarms every month to make sure they are working.
To provide a better warning of a fire and more escape time, install more than one alarm and interconnect all smoke alarms in the home. Interconnected alarms speak to one another, so if there is a fire in one part of the house, the interconnected alarms sound throughout the house and alert consumers to the fire more quickly.
For the best protection, install alarms on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas and inside each bedroom, and use both ionization and photoelectric alarms. Alarms that are powered by house wiring should have a battery backup.
Smoke alarms provide the warning, but every family should have a fire escape plan as well. Practice the escape plan with everyone in the house so they can get out quickly. The escape plan should include two ways out of each room (as practical) and a family meeting place that is outside where everyone can meet if there is a fire in the home.
Charles Larry Caraway
November 28, 2013
Mr. Charles Larry Caraway, 59, passed away on Wednesday, November 27, 2013, in Pensacola.
Mr. Caraway was a native of Atmore, former long time resident of Rabun and had resided in McCullough for the past four years. Mr. Caraway was a loving and devoted worker and family man. He is preceded in death by his mother, Bobbie Lou Biles.
He is survived by his father, Charles Caraway of Tensaw, Ala; two daughters, Christy Caraway and Chasity Caraway, both of Atmore; two brothers, Terry Caraway of McCullough and Tim Caraway of Poarch; and six grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Diane Everette officiating.
Visitation will be Monday, December 2, 2013, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
No Injuries In Cantonment Crash
November 28, 2013
There were no injuries when a driver overturned his vehicle on an unnamed dirt lane near Becks Lake Road and Highway 29 just before 8:00 this morning. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details, including the name of the driver, have not been released. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Joel Wesley Smith
November 28, 2013
Mr. Joel Wesley Smith passed away peacefully on Monday, November 25, 2013. He was born on September 9, 1931, to parents Chester Brown Smith and Janie Barrow Smith of Castleberry, AL.
Preceding him in death was his beloved wife of 57 years, Opal Virginia Odom Smith who made their home in the Atmore area since 1947, where they owned and operated Smith’s Small Engines on South Main Street, in Atmore. Joel remained in his home in Canoe after Opal’s death in 2006 until a recent lengthy hospital stay.
Joel and Opal were preceded in death by their oldest daughter, Linda Gayle Smith Phillips, of Pensacola; and are survived by a son, Lavon Wesley Smith ( Cynthia) of Cantonment and daughter, Janet Smith McCullough ( Randy) of Chapel Hill, NC. They have eight grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. He was the last survivor of ten siblings.
Services will be officiated by Rev. Earl Harrison of The Church of the Living God, where Joel attended for several years. Eastside Chapel of Atmore will handle funeral arrangements for the service on Saturday, November 30, 2013, at 2 p.m.
Interment will follow at Serenity Gardens on Highway 31 in Atmore.
Family will receive visitors on Friday, November 29, 2013, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Eastside Chapel.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Water Main Break In Walnut Hill
November 27, 2013
Escambia River Electric Cooperative is reporting a water main break on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill.
Crews are working to make repairs , but the repairs make take a few hours, according to EREC.
Century Tweaks Barnyard Animal Ban, Looks At Tracking Devices
November 27, 2013
The Town of Century is still working toward banning barnyard animals from the town, now planning to force their removal or require variances and microchips for those that remain outside certain zones.
The town council held special workshop meeting Tuesday afternoon to work toward a consensus to an amendment to a barnyard animal ordinance that is pending final approval next month. The ordinance will make it illegal to keep a horse, mule, donkey, goat, sheep, or cow within the town limits except in areas that are zoned agricultural or rural residential. Hogs are already prohibited in all areas of the town.
Tuesday, the council decided to do away with any individual grandfathering once the law is approved. Instead, all property owners not meeting the required zoning and minimum acreage requirements must get rid of their animals within 18 months or apply for a council-approved variance to keep them. In additional, any barnyard animals approved under a variance must be implanted with a microchip, allowing Escambia County Animal Control officers to track the animals back to their owners.
Mayor Freddie McCall said the “tracking devices”, the microchips, would either be donated or paid for by the town. They would be implanted by a county animal control worker or a volunteer from Panhandle Equine Rescue, he said, at no cost to the citizen.
Also Tuesday, the council decided to change the minimum acreage requirements for animals in the rural residential and agricultural zones. One horse will be allowed for every two acres, one donkey per acre and one goat per one-half acre. The animals and their pens must be 200 feet or greater from a dwelling or property line.
The a public hearing will held on the ordinance during the council’s December 2 meeting at 7 p.m., at which time the council will vote on the new law. Once approved, the law becomes effective immediately with citizens required to register animals outside the agricultural and rural residential zones within 60 days with 18 months allowed to remove the animals or apply for a variance with their animals subject to being microchipped.
Pictured top: Councilman Gary Riley (center) discusses a barnyard animal ban in Century as Mayor Freddie McCall (left) and council President Ann Brooks (right) listen Tuesday afternoon. Pictured inset: Council member Jacke Johnston expresses her thoughts on the ordinance. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Georgia Church Providing Thanksgiving Dinner In Century
November 27, 2013
A Georgia church is providing Thanksgiving dinner for Century residents on Thursday.
Rivertown Church of Columbus will provide the turkey and dressing, and they are inviting Century residents to bring a covered dish and join in at noon at the old Carver School on Pond Street.
Church members were in town earlier this year working on the Carver Community Center. Numerous Century residents joined them in the effort, and the Thanksgiving Dinner is the church’s way of saying “thanks” to the community, according to Mayor Freddie McCall.
The church is calling the event “Compel Century”.
From The Farm To The City: A Thanksgiving Bounty For The Needy
November 27, 2013
Students from several northern Santa Rosa County schools put in a hard day’s work to help make sure hundreds of families have a good Thanksgiving dinner.
Students from Jay, Central and Milton high schools harvested hundreds of pounds of collards and cabbage from fields at the West Florida Research and Education Center near Jay. And middle schoolers from King Middle School in Milton washed the crops and bagged sweet potatoes. Staff from the Century Correctional Institution also took part in the harvest.
The fresh bounty was paired with turkeys and all the fixings donated by sponsors and distributed to about 400 families in need that had pre-qualified for the program.
“”We get to go out and meet with the families and see and talk with them a lot of families aren’t what you think. They aren’t in despair. These are hard working families that just need help,” said Robin Vickers of the UF West Florida Research and Education Center.
Helpful Hints To Prevent Frozen Pipes
November 27, 2013
Now is the time to prepare you your pipes for freezing cold weather.
The following recommendations, from ECUA, are a few simple measures residents can take to ready their home’s plumbing for this winter’s freezing temperatures.
External, exposed pipes are naturally the most vulnerable to freezing. Homeowners may:
Insulate Pipes or Faucets in Unheated Areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
Disconnect And Drain Outdoor Hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This will prevent the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
Run a Trickle of Water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run thin trickles of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water, but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to that of repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
Remember the Backflow Preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water lines are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.
Hunting And Fishing Licenses Now Available At Century Courthouse
November 27, 2013
Hunting and fishing licenses are now available at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century.
Citizens are now able to obtain Florida hunting and fishing licenses at the office of Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller Pam Childers in the courthouse at 7500 North Century Boulevard.
The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and closed each day from noon – 1:00 p.m. for lunch.
The office is open today, but will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holidays. Regular business hours will resume on Monday, December 2. For more information, contact the Escambia County Clerk of the Court office during the business hours listed above at (850) 256-6161.
Pictured top: Clerk of the Court employee Cindy Courtney works Tuesday afternoon to issue a Florida hunting license in Century. Pictured below: The Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
