Holiday Safety Tips

By Adrianna Weingold

CREATED Nov. 21, 2012

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  • How to stay safe from cooking dinner to hanging those holiday decorations. Video by kmir6.com

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 PALM SPRINGS--From the light displays to cooking those elaborate meals. The holidays can pose threats to your health and safety. There are some very important things to keep in mind to prevent a holiday celebration from going up in smoke.

 
Holiday cooking can be a recipe for disaster. The Cathedral City Fire Department showed us a video of what can happen when deep frying a turkey.
 
"We have more cooking calls on Thanksgiving than any other time of year," Robert Van Nortrick, Cathedral City Fire Chief said.
 
He says never use water to extinguish an oil fire and always keep the fryer out of the house.
 
"Never leave it unattended. A turkey fryer doesn't have a thermostat to regulate the heat so you need to constantly keep an eye on it because the oil can reach it's ignition temperature and can combust in flames," Chief Van Nortrick said. 
 
Also be sure to plug appliances directly into the wall or consult a professional.
 
"Well it's always better to be safer than sorry," artist Kenny Irwin said.
 
With more than 7 million LED lights and a 50 foot Santa Claus, Kenny Irwin isn't taking any chances.
 
"Everything is done in code so it's really strong electrical system that they've put in," Irwin said.
 
Irwin has been prepping for more than a year and a half for the return of his elaborate Christmas display.
 
"It's incredible all the lights that he uses and the creativity is just unbelievable," Palm Springs resident Ken Sorensen said. 
 
So whether decorating or cooking, be sure to stay safe this holiday season.
 
The light display at Kenny Irwin's home in Palm Springs starts this Friday afternoon and will run all the way through January 9th. He credits Concrete by Design for helping make the display possible.
 
--Adrianna Weingold
aweingold@kmir6.com