How to keep your kitchen safe this Thanksgiving

COLORADO SPRINGS — We are just a day away from Thanksgiving and many of you will be getting together for a family dinner. However, keep in mind safety comes first when preparing a feast.

According to the National Fire Protection Association , Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home-cooking fires. Kitchen fires are between three and four times more likely on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year.

If you are cooking this holiday, make sure you have a plan, and you set timers for the food that is cooking. Also, keep kids and animals away from the kitchen. If you are deep frying your turkey this year, it comes with a risk. Each year deep-fryer fires are responsible for injuries, and destruction of hundreds of homes in the U.S. That’s according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department says cooking fires happen every year on Thanksgiving. It’s usually because of distractions around the house.

“Cooking fires across the year is always one of the top causes of fires in homes so that is one of the things that we ask people to just be really mindful of. However, this time during the holidays it seems to be more prevalent, especially when we’ve got those big gatherings and groups of people,” said Sunny Smaldino, Colorado Springs Fire Department.

“Mostly it’s because people are forgetting what they have going on the stove or they’re cooking things at too hot of temperatures, things boil over, catch fire. So those are things that we see very, very common,” said Smaldino.

Never leave cooking food unattended.

Only fry a turkey outside, ten feet away from your home.

Do not fry a frozen turkey.

Do not use turkey fryers in the garage or on the porch.

Make sure your smoke alarms are working.

Remember, your stovetop can be hot when there is food cooking in the oven.