Watch Now: Holiday Fireworks & Burn Safety Tips

(Caption: Ricardo Castrellon, M.D., a plastic surgeon, spoke to the Baptist Health South Florida news team about fire safety and burn prevention.)

Year-end party-planning often involves food, fireworks, candles and other seasonal ornaments. Those holiday touches can lead to accidental fires and injuries, according to Ricardo Castrellon, M.D., a plastic surgeon affiliated with South Miami Hospital. Nationwide, about 450,000 people show up each year at hospital  emergency departments with burn injuries, and there are nearly 3,500 burn-related deaths each year, according to the American Burn Association.

What’s more, the official tallies don’t include patients treated for burns in outpatient clinics, medical centers or private doctor offices.

Therefore, be mindful of fire safety and burn prevention as you plan family meals and parties, says Dr. Castrellon, who also serves as medical director at the new Burn Center at South Miami Hospital. The Center provides comprehensive treatment to aid in the healing of burns, including reconstructive services and follow-up care, according to Mary Kathleen Wood, R.N., nurse manager at the Burn Center. A specialized team of physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and dieticians are dedicated to each patient’s recovery, says Cristina Umbac, advanced registered nurse practitioner.

Here are fire safety tips from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, a federal agency:

To Prevent a Cooking Fire in Your Kitchen

• Keep an eye on your cooking, and stay in the kitchen. Unattended cooking is the No. 1 cause of cooking fires.
• Wear short or close-fitting sleeves. Loose clothing can catch fire.
• Watch children closely. When old enough, teach children to cook safely.
• Clean cooking surfaces to prevent food and grease build-up.
• Keep curtains, towels and pot holders away from hot surfaces and store solvents and flammable cleaners away from heat sources. Never keep gasoline in the house.
• Turn pan handles inward to prevent food spills.
  —Source: Consumer Products Safety Commission

The Baptist Health South Florida News Team spoke with Dr. Castrellon about holiday safety and burn prevention. Watch now.

Tags: burn prevention, fire prevention, holiday safety, Kitchen safety