U.S. Army Garrison Italy and Italian firefighters prepare to go inside a container full of smoke in order to simulate a interior rescue of a victim that had trouble inside a container with zero visibility in Vicenza, Italy, Feb. 28, 2019. The simulat...

It's that time of year again when the air is full of the wonderful aroma of cooking food, friends and family are enjoying time together, and remembrance of back home fills our lives. Please don't let that enjoyable time of year revert to the smell of smoke, people injured, and tragedy occurring from not being safe while preparing your meal. If frying a turkey is part of your thanksgiving routine, please follow safety guidelines. Ensure you are away from any facility or structure and not under an overhang. Never let children or pets near the cooking area. From our

family to yours, enjoy the holiday and be safe.

Thanksgiving Fire Facts

Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving. In 2017, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,600 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving, the peak day for such fires. Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. Cooking equipment was involved in almost half of all reported home fires and home fire injuries, and it is the second leading cause of home fire deaths.

Top 10 Safety Tips

Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.

Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.

Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.

Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.

Keep knives out of the reach of children.

Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.

Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children - up high in a locked cabinet.

Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.

Keep the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.

Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!