Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires (followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving). In 2018, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,630 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving, the peak day for such fires. The leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths is unattended cooking. The second leading cause of home fire deaths is cooking equipment, which is involved in almost half of all reported home fires and home fire injuries. Here are a few tips from the Utah Department of Public Safety. Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stove top so there is an eye on the food and stay home when cooking the turkey so that it can be checked frequently. Be highly aware of children, keeping them away from the stove (about three feet), away from hot food and liquids (as.the steam or splash could cause serious burns), keep matches and lighters out of reach, and never keep them in a room with a candle. Make sure the smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
