When Thanksgiving rolls around, family and friends can’t wait to wrap their chops around your down-home southern cooking. While you’re preparing the turkey and dressing, macaroni and cheese and collard greens, keep safety first. The U.S Fire Administration estimates about 2000 residential buildings go up in smoke every year around Thanksgiving. Keep your home from becoming part of these statistics by practicing caution while cooking.

• Keep a watchful eye on food. Don’t leave home while your food is cooking. Also, it’s easy to get sidetracked doing other things, so use a timer to remind you that you have food on the stove. The American Red Cross suggests always staying in the kitchen while you broil or fry food. If you must leave the kitchen, shut the stove off.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy. If there is a fire, you want to put it out quickly and safely. Tossing water on an electrical or grease fire will only increase the danger. Keep the fire extinguisher in the kitchen where it is easily accessible.
• Use the turkey fryer outdoors. If you’re not careful, a deep fried southern turkey can be a fire waiting to happen. Instead of frying the bird indoors, put the fryer outside. keep it away from wooden decks, buildings or anything else that can ignite. In addition, keep pets and children far away from the appliance.
• Don’t use extension cords. Plug your cooking appliances up in outlets instead of using extension cords. These cords can easily overload the circuits in your home and cause a fire.
• Don’t wear loose shirts. Loose or dangling shirt sleeves can brush up against the stove and catch on fire. When you cook, wear shirts with short of fitted sleeves. Also, if you wear an apron, keep the strings tied so they are not hanging down.
• Install smoke alarms. Smoke alarms will alert you if there is smoke present in your home. Ideally, there should be a smoke alarm near the kitchen, as well as on each level of the home. The American Red Cross recommends checking the alarms every month and replacing the batteries yearly.

When you’re preparing your holiday meals, safety is the most important thing. When you use the above tips, you and your loved ones can safely enjoy sweet potato pie, deep fried turkey and other

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