Tips to help prevent holiday kitchen fires (and what to do if you have one)

(BPT) – The holidays are just around the corner and for many people, that means big plans. It’s about traditional family recipes, new favorite dishes and your loved ones gathered around the table enjoying the bounty of it all. If you’re that holiday host, you know a lot of your time is spent in the kitchen. Along with the joy of cooking for friends and family, it’s important to keep an eye on fire safety as well.According to the National Fire Prevention Agency, Thanksgiving Day is ground zero for kitchen fires. More fires happen on that day than any other. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day follow close behind. Nobody wants those kinds of holiday memories.Kitchen fires can be simple to prevent with a little care and preparation. Here are some tips, from your good neighbors at State Farm®:Stay alert and attentive. Always keep an eye on what you’re doing and check the food regularly. Don’t wander out of the kitchen to chat with your guests. Instead, create an outpost where they can join you in the heart of your home, or better yet, help out.Save the wine for dinner. If you’re sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop. The same goes for any medications that might make you drowsy.Watch for sleeves and oven mitts. Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.Be prepared. Keep a fire extinguisher approved for cooking or grease fires nearby and make sure you know how to use it. And, when’s the last time you changed the batteries in your smoke alarms? Make sure they’re working, too.Do you really need to fry the turkey? Yes, deep fried turkey is delicious. But it’s also dangerous. Each year, deep fryer accidents cause 60 injuries, five deaths and $15 million in property damage. If you’re determined to deep fry your bird, never leave it unattended, do not use the fryer in your garage or in the rain or snow, wear goggles and protective clothing and have that fire extinguisher very close at hand.If you have a cooking fire, what should you do? Here are some tactics for what to do in case of fire from State Farm:Turn off the heat source. Immediately turn off the burner for stovetop fires. For oven fires, turn off the oven and keep the door closed.Cover the pan with its lid. Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you do have a fire in the pan, don’t throw water on it. Instead, slide the lid over the pan. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool until you’re absolutely sure the fire is out.Do not move the pan. Moving it could cause the fire to spread.Do not try to extinguish it with water. Using water on a grease fire is not effective and can cause grease fires to splash and spread.Use your fire extinguisher. For larger fires, use the extinguisher you have close at hand.When in doubt, get out! If you’re not comfortable doing any of these things, or if the fire hasn’t been suppressed, get everyone out of the house quickly. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you and your family are safe outside.By following these tips, you can help keep your family, friends and home safe from kitchen fires. For more information on kitchen safety, visit: https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/residence/putting-kitchen-safety-first.This content is sponsored by State Farm.