Thanksgiving means family, delicious food and good memories, but it can also expose your family and your home to some fire risks. Did you know Thanksgiving Day is the peak day of the year for home cooking fires?

The San Gabriel Fire Department wants to ensure that you residents stay safe this holiday with the following helpful tips:

- Don’t leave the room while your food is cooking in the pan. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove
- Wear short sleeves or roll sleeves up while cooking
- Keep a pan lid or cookie sheet nearby to cover the pan if it catches on fire.
- Keep children away from the stove while cooking.
- If you do deep fry your turkey, use extreme caution and take the following precautions:
o Set up the fryer away from your home, do not fry the turkey in the garage.
o Make sure to completely thaw and dry the turkey, extra water will cause the oil to bubble and spill over and then catch fire from the burner.
o Don’t overfill the oil.
o Have a fire extinguisher ready at all times.

If you have any questions about cooking safety, call the non-emergency line at the Fire Department at 626.308.2880. If you have a fire or an emergency on Thanksgiving or any time this season, don’t hesitate to call 911.