Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner and that means cooking in the kitchen for most families.  According to NFIRS and NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings.  The following tips from the U.S. Fire Administration are ways you can prevent cooking fires in your home not only on Thanksgiving Day, but throughout the year:

• Stand by your pan: If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
• Watch what you are cooking: Fires start when the heat is too high.  If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove: Then no one can bump them or pull them over.
• Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby: Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire.  This will put out the fire.
• Wear short sleeves or roll your sleeves up.

We hope you stay safe in the kitchen and prevent a devastating cooking fire.