GREENSBORO, N.C. - Did you know Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires?
The latest National Fire Protection Association report shows U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,600 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving back in 2017.
Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
Thanksgiving is also the time of year when many people like to experiment with frying turkeys.
The NFPA is sending a warning to the public to avoid using turkey fryers, which can lead to severe burns and other injuries.
Turkey fryers can also destroy property due to the large amount of oil used and high temperature.
If you prefer a deep fried turkey for the holiday season, you might want to highly consider purchasing it from a grocery store, specialty food retailer, or restaurant.
The National Fire Protection Association provides the following fire cooking safety tips:
- Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
- Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
- Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
- Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
- Keep the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
- Keep knives out of the reach of children.
- Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
- Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.