A man in Massachusetts with all the right intentions wanted to help his 80-year-old mother by quickly riding her back porch of ice so she would not fall.
The Boston Globe reports the man was hesitant to use salt since it could corrode the bricks on the building. However, sand and salts were used on the front porch. Using a snow shovel was a bit more work than the man was willing to do. The next best idea that came to mind was fire.
The man grabbed the blowtorch he used to light his grill and attempted to combat the ice:
“…The fire quickly jumped to the vinyl siding on the back of the house on Davis Street and shot up four stories, charring much of the rear of the house. Several windows were broken and, on other parts of the facade, the wood frame of the house was exposed.”
No one was injured in the fire. Read the full story.
“There is no way around it– we’re going to get hit with a pretty big storm…
…Cold air arrives…Saturday. Snow levels will drop like a rock. From 7000ft to 1500ft in just a few hours. Heavy snow will fall in the Cascades and Coast Range. Blizzard conditions will exist in Cascades much of Saturday. Maybe 3 feet of snow will fall in the mountains. Locally we’ll see snow in the higher hills not on the valley floor. Precipitation Saturday will be a wintry mix with no accumulation below 500ft.
…A second wave of arctic air that arrives Sunday. Temperatures will fall into the teens and twenties. Another weak low will drop south along the coast. Moisture coming ashore will be snow, all the way to the valley floor. Amounts are still hard to predict at this time. We could see just a few flurries maybe an inch or two.
Lastly I don’t see a warm up coming anytime soon. We might even see another snow event late next week!”
Deep frying your turkey has become a popular trend across the United States. However, as you may have seen in the video above, many dangerous risks are involved.
The Los Angeles Fire Department’s blog has posted some tips about deep-frying safely. If one is going to fry their bird, keep the following in mind:
“Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors, on a solid level surface a safe distance from buildings and flammable materials.
Never use a turkey fryer on a wooden deck, under a patio cover, in a garage or any enclosed space.
Remember that overfilling the fryer will lead to danger.
Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. Wear long sleeves and safety goggles to protect you from oil splatter.
Make sure the turkey is completely thawed. The National Turkey Federation recommends refrigerator thawing and to allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of bird.
Be careful with marinades. Remember that oil and water don’t mix. Even a small amount of moisture can cause oil to spill over, leading to a fire or explosion hazard.
Never leave the fryer unattended. Frying a turkey requires full-time adult attention.
Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even hours after use, the oil inside can remain dangerously hot.
Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby, and know its proper use and limitations. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire!
If a turkey fryer fire occurs, have some immediately call 9-1-1.
Use your best judgment. If the fire is manageable and you can do so safely, use the all-purpose fire extinguisher.”
A man in Massachusetts with all the right intentions wanted to help his 80-year-old mother by quickly riding her back porch of ice so she would not fall.
This week was National Fire Safety Week in the U.S.
