Tips to Stay Safe on Thanksgiving

Just as Thanksgiving Day might be one of the most hectic days of the year for you and your family, it has proven to be the busiest day for the fire service nationwide.

"More property damage and lives are lost in residential structure fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year," Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said in a statement. 

An estimated 2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings are reported to U.S. fire department each year and cause an estimated average of five deaths, 25 injuries and $121 million in property loss.

The county fire department has offered the following safe cooking tips to help make your holiday safer:

• Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by a recognized testing facility.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying or grilling food. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can catch fire: potholders, towels, or curtains away from the stovetop.
• Have a "kid-free zone" of at least 3 feet around the stove.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby when cooking.
• When placing the turkey into the oven or turkey fryer, be extremely careful.

If having a fried turkey is a must for Thanksgiving, consider purchasing a fried, cooked turkey from a commercial source. Supermarkets and restaurants accept orders for fried turkeys during the holiday season.