NFPA advises caution when preparing this year’s Thanksgiving feast

Cooks should be careful in the kitchen

U.S. (KYMA, KECY) - The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has made an announcement urging families to be careful when cooking on Thanksgiving day, as it's the day where cooking fires happen more than three times on average.

NFPA's vice president of Outreach and Advocacy Lorrain Carli made a statement regarding these fires: "Thanksgiving is a hectic holiday that involves lots of cooking and distractions, which can make it easy to lose sight of what’s on the stove and in the oven."

Cooking was a major cause for reported fires and fire-related injuries on average from 2015 to 2019, with Thanksgiving having reported at least 14,000 cooking incidents.

"Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires, so we strongly encourage people keep a close eye on what they’re cooking and to minimize the likelihood of getting distracted.”

The NFPA would like to give some tips for this Thanksgiving dinner.

“The good news is that the vast majority of cooking fires are preventable with a little added awareness,” said Carli. “By taking simple steps and precautions to minimize the likelihood of having a cooking fire, everyone can enjoy a festive, fire-safe Thanksgiving.”

The NFPA recommends not leaving the kitchen with the stovetop on, checking cooking appliances regularly, keeping track of cooking times, avoiding long sleeves, and keeping children at least three feet away from the stove.

Turkey fryers are also strongly discouraged as they can lead to severe injuries and property damages, more so than a regular stove.