By COLlive reporter
North Jersey fire officials are shvitzing over the thought that Orthodox Jewish families will be leaving their stoves on during the upcoming month of holidays.
This year Rosh Hashana, the first and last days of Sukkos fall out on Thursday and Friday, which means three consecutive days with the stovetop burners lite (with or without the metal blech).
13 people in Teaneck were treated on Shavuos for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and authorities blame a defective stove that had been left on, The Bergen Record reports.
In 2005, a fire in Brooklyn that authorities blamed on a stove-top burner left on for Pesach killed 3 boys and injured 10 other people, according to news reports.
“With leaving the stove on, we certainly know that it puts the community at a greater danger,” Teaneck Fire Chief Anthony Verley told The Record. “We want them to understand there are some deadly implications to this.”
Teaneck Fire Department and Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps offer the following recommendations (read more on NorthJersey.com):
* All homes should have working carbon monoxide detectors. Authorities recommend homes have one on each level.
* Call the fire department if your carbon monoxide detector goes off. Rabbis advise that it is permissible to call on the Sabbaos and holidays to avoid any risk to life.
* Homes should have a hood above the stove that is vented outside. A hood that is vented into the kitchen does not help reduce carbon monoxide.
* Consider alternatives to using the stove such as an electric hot plate or crock pot, which do not emit carbon monoxide.
* Do not keep any flammable items within 1 foot of the stove or crock pot.
* Do not use an extension cord with electric cooking devices.
* If a family must use a stove, leave a nearby window open 4 inches (about the size of a fist) and also open a window at the opposite end of the house for cross ventilation.
* Consider using an electric oven with a warming drawer. Electric ovens do not generate carbon monoxide.
VIDEO:
VIDEO: How to use a water Blech
Just put the dang thing on a timer.
Has anyone consulted with a food safety expert to determine the safety of using sterno to heat food? Should food be hot when placed on sterno? Is the temperature hot enough to defrost frozen food ? Is it necessary to fill a bottom pan with hot water and then place food in a pan on top? How long is it safe to leave food uncovered over sterno?
We used Sternos inside once to heat food and it set off our carbon monoxide detector. You should only use them outside, or in a very well ventilated area.
if you use electric hot plates with timers i cant see the problem.
Nice to see Chava from Denver in the second video! I miss the old neighborhood there…
Ycan also use sternos to warm food – it can take longer but great when the weather is warm and you don’t want to make the house even hotter. Use a pre existing flame of course. and the soup can heat in a crock pot.
Its Yom Tov you can use sternos, they heat up food really well