Each year, home chefs go into their kitchens on Thanksgiving in hopes of making a delicious family meal with a turkey centerpiece for the holiday, but it does not come without risk.

On Monday, Pennsylvania Acting Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys, Department of Health Acting Secretary and Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson and Pennsylvania Acting State Fire Commissioner Charles McGarvey joined Harrisburg Fire Bureau officials to offer safety advice for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

“Cooking fires remain a persistent and all-too common cause of home fires, resulting in significant damage and costs for those who experience them,” said Commissioner McGarvey. “These incidents peak every year with the Thanksgiving holiday. Turkey fryers and inattentive cooking are consistently listed as the leading causes of these fires.”

The administration’s top tips for cooking safety includes making sure the turkey is completely thawed before frying, do not deep fry turkey inside the home, never leave a fryer unattended, have an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby and use proper hand protection.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the average number of reported residential building fires on Thanksgiving Day is more than double the average number of fires in residential buildings on all other days.

Visit osfc.pa.gov/BeFireSafePA for more seasonal fire safety tips and to look at the turkey fryer factsheet.