Holiday cooking dangers: How to whip up a feast without turning your Thanksgiving into a nightmare

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – House fires are more numerous during the holidays, with the National Fire Protection Association saying more than 47,000 fires occur during the holiday season, and sometimes with deadly results.

As you get ready to put in the long hours in the kitchen to prepare the perfect dinner for Thanksgiving, you’ll want to make sure you do not over look some key safety issues that could quickly turn your holiday into a nightmare.

Nationwide, Thanksgiving tends to be a peak time for firefighters responding to homes because of cooking fires.

Here’s some things the National Fire Protection Association recommends you do to keep everyone safe this year:

• When baking the turkey, check the oven frequently and don’t leave home while that appliance is on
• If you’re cooking on the stove top, stay in the kitchen and always keep your eye on the food you’re preparing
• With a hot stove, you’ll also want to make sure the kids keep a safe distance away from it

Also, make sure smoke alarms are working. Check the battery backup too if they are electrically operated detectors.

If you’re going to deep fry your turkey, you need to exercise even more precautions.

• Keep the fryer outdoors at a safe distance away from your home, trees and other things that have the potential to turn your cooking experience into a flammable inferno
• Never leave the fryer unattended
• Keep the turkey itself small, under 12 pounds, because a big turkey will displace too much oil which can catch on fire
• Make sure bird is completely thawed and dry. Ice and water can be a very dangerous, fiery mix because the hot oil will splash out of the pot if it encounters water

Keep in mind, cooking appliances and equipment wind up being responsible for nearly half of house fires and injuries in the United States during the holiday season.

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