Michigan officials: Fires not the only safety threat on Thanksgiving

Michigan officials say avoid the ER on Thanksgiving by deterring cuts urns, alcohol injuries and ‘holiday heart’
Cooking fires surge on Thanksgiving, often tied to unsafe turkey frying. Keep deep fryers 10 feet from your house
Doctors warn holiday drinking can trigger dangerous heart rhythm problems

Thanksgiving may be a day of food and family, but the holiday can also prompt injuries that send people to emergency rooms across Michigan.

Health officials say ER trips during the holiday season are often caused by cuts and burns from Thanksgiving meal preparation, alcohol-related injuries or even “holiday heart,” an irregular heart rhythm, likely caused by alcohol.

“Wednesday night is a big bar night. A lot of people go out and celebrate, so I always encourage people not to overdo it,” said Dr. Jason Vieder, vice chair of the emergency medicine department at Henry Ford Health.

“On Thursday morning, a lot of folks will go out and they’re playing football or just doing some athletic activities … and you just want to make sure you’re wearing the proper gear and not overdo it there as well.”

In 2023, nearly 15,000 people were treated for holiday decorating-related injuries between November and January, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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People tend to get injured during the holidays when they’re juggling too many things at once and not paying attention, Vieder said.

“When things are really hot, you just want to make sure you’re protecting your hands and sometimes your forearms … or that you’re not touching something that’s really hot,” he said.

“Certainly, when you’re handling a sharp object like a knife or something to help carve a turkey, you just want to make sure you’re paying attention. If you’re trying to cut that last piece off the turkey, leave it alone.”

Fire threats, deep fryer safety

Of the roughly 352,400 home fires reported each year, almost 45% are caused by cooking, according to the safety commission. Thanksgiving sees the highest number of these incidents, with an average of about 1,400 cooking fires that day.

“We want to make sure that we give all of the actionable items to prevent fires, especially when it comes to cooking,” said Don Thomas, fire marshal for the city of Detroit. “During this time of year, we have spikes in fires, between November and December.”

Deep frying a turkey can be especially dangerous if it isn’t done correctly because the hot oil can easily spill, ignite or tip over. Fire officials say those mistakes are a major reason Detroit sees an uptick in fires during the holidays.

“The most important (thing) is to not leave your kitchen unattended,” which is what causes the most fires, said Captain Edward Davis for the fire marshal division of the Detroit Fire Department.

Detroit fire department turkey deep fry fire — A simulated fryer fire at Detroit’s training facility shows the type of kitchen accident that often sends people to the ER on Thanksgiving. (Janelle D. James/Bridge Michigan)

During a demonstration at the city’s regional training center Tuesday, firefighters showed how dangerous it can be to fry a frozen turkey in a pot with too much oil. Flames shot up several feet in the air.

“You can imagine, if we did that in a controlled environment and you’re in your kitchen or outside, close to the home, what can actually happen,” Davis said.

In a Tuesday press release, Michigan Fire Marshal Tom Hughes warned against using a fryer within 10 feet of houses, other buildings, decks or trees. Other tips: Always ensure the turkey is fully thawed, watch out for smoke and never leave the fryer unattended.

“Deep-frying a bird in several gallons of oil heated over 350 degrees can be extremely dangerous,” he said in a statement. “When cooking oil is overheated, vapors can ignite and become as flammable as gasoline.”

Holiday heart hazards

External injuries aren’t the only thing doctors are treating during the holidays. Sometimes, when people get around family, they may indulge in things or activities that they normally wouldn’t, which may cause the body to have an adverse reaction.

“The things that we do see a little bit more frequently are… atrial fibrillation, which is an abnormal heart rhythm that is actually fairly common in older age,” said Dr. Brad Uren, associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan.

Medical professionals often refer to this as “holiday heart” because they typically see these cases during the holiday season.

“One of the things that can trigger people to have atrial fibrillation is recent alcohol use,” Uren said. “People who don’t really drink at all go to a holiday celebration, they have a few drinks and then they wake up and they’re feeling palpitations.”

When to go to the ER

Serious symptoms should prompt a trip to the ER. Dr. Uren advises focusing on the warning signs, not the final diagnosis, when deciding whether to seek care.

“If you … believe that your symptoms represent something that can put your life, limb or jeopardize your organ systems, you should go to the emergency department,” Dr. Uren said. “The idea is that you have to work with what symptom you’re having and not the ultimate diagnosis.”

Each injury is different but if it can’t be treated with a first aid kit at home, then going to the ER may be the best option.

“If someone is having severe difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe headache, severe vomiting, severe abdominal pain … these are all things that should prompt someone to come to the emergency department,” he said.