By Eric Guevin

You will be thankful if you don’t let fire gobble up your holiday. Cooking fires continue to be the most common type of fires experienced by households in the United States. This is even more apparent during the holidays. There is an increased incidence of cooking fires on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve Day, and Christmas Day.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District wants to warn residents and guests that cooking fires are the leading cause of fire injuries in homes. These fires are preventable by simply being more attentive to the use of cooking materials and equipment.

A lot of attention has been focused on deep fryers for turkeys. They need to be used with extreme caution. Turkey deep fryers are not given a Underwriters Laboratories safety rating. Flash and explosive fires are common.

Never leave the cooker unattended, use on a stable surface away and outside of any structures. It is advised to thaw the turkey because ice and water can cause a violent reaction with grease and cause a flash fire.

Always pre-measure the oil before you place the bird in the cooker because overflowing oil will also cause a violent flame.

Have an all-purpose ABC type fire extinguisher at hand. Never use water to fight the grease fire.

Remember, all fires start small so be sure and call 911 right away.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Department wants you and your loved ones to have a happy and safe Thanksgiving and don’t cook your goose.

Learn the facts about cooking fire safety online.

Eric Guevin is acting fire marshal for Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District.