(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com)– With Thanksgiving arriving later this week, it’s important to remember turkey day safety tips in order to avoid any culinary disasters in the kitchen this holiday season.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home cooking fires which are three to four times more likely to happen on Thanksgiving than on a typical day.

The NFPA associates the spike around Thanksgiving to people making multiple dishes at the same time and other distractions the day brings.

Home cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, accounting for 49 percent of home fires with the main cause being unattended cooking.

With that in mind, the NFPA recommends the following tips to keep Thanksgiving safe and delicious:

• Never leave the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop especially when cooking with oil
• Stay home when cooking your turkey and check it regularly
• Use your timers, especially for longer cooks. Most cell phones come with a timer
• Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on the fire.
• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed and only open the door while standing off to the side once you’re confident the fire is completely out

For those feeling bold enough to deep fry their turkey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends the following:

• Make sure your turkey fryer is on a sturdy, level surface and do not move it once in use
• Make sure it is placed at least 10 feet away from any structure and not under any roof eaves with a fire extinguisher nearby
• Use water to test how much oil you need before frying and measure
• Make sure the turkey is completely thawed without frost to avoid oil splatter
• Monitor temperature closely to avoid overheating, starting fire

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission took to social to remind turkey lovers to exercise caution when cooking the Thanksgiving turkey this year.

Turkey fryers can cause severe burns and property damage if not handled properly and can spread in fractions of a second. Grease fires also can’t be put out with water, making keeping the correct type of fire extinguisher nearby critical.

For more safety tips and fire prevention information, check out the NFPA website.