Thanksgiving is coming. You’re excited. You’re planning the menu. You’re already thinking about that turkey. But here’s the thing nobody wants to talk about: Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires in America. And most of them are completely preventable.
The Houston Fire Department wants you to have an actual good holiday, not one that ends with fire trucks in your driveway. So listen up.
The Numbers Are Real
Thanksgiving week in Houston? More than 30 percent of residential fires are cooking-related. Nationally, it’s even worse. In 2023, there were nearly 168,000 cooking fires across the United States. They killed 125 people, injured 2,500 more, and caused over half a billion dollars in damage. That’s not hypothetical. That’s real families dealing with real consequences.
And here’s the kicker: most of these fires never had to happen.
The Biggest Mistake People Make
Unattended cooking causes 25 percent of all kitchen fires. You step away for two minutes. That’s all it takes. The pot boils over. The heat gets too high. The flames get too big. And suddenly you’re in trouble.
Don’t do it. Period. Stay in the kitchen while you’re cooking.
Your Stove Safety Playbook
Keep those pot handles turned away from the front of the stove. Never position them over another burner—if a kid or a pet bumps into them, you’ve got boiling liquid pouring down. It sounds simple because it is.
Wear short sleeves or tight-fitting long sleeves when you’re cooking. Loose fabric catches fire. Tight fabric doesn’t.
Keep your potholders away from the actual stove. They’re not just props—they can catch fire if they’re too close to the heat.
Clean your stovetop, broiler, oven, and exhaust ducts before you start cooking. Grease buildup is a fire waiting to happen.
Keep a working smoke detector in your kitchen. Test it now. Today. Don’t wait.
If a fire starts in your oven, turn it off and keep the door closed. Let it smother out. Don’t open it.
When Something Actually Catches Fire
Do NOT use water. Do NOT use flour. Both are terrible ideas.
Use an ABC fire extinguisher. Or baking soda. Or a tight-fitting pot lid to smother the flames. That’s it. Three options. Pick one.
Turkey Fryer Safety—Because People Get This Wrong
Turkey fryers are extremely dangerous. We’re not exaggerating. They’re a leading cause of serious holiday injuries.
Rule one: Always use them outdoors. Away from anything that can burn. Never on a wooden deck. Never in a garage. Outside. Period.
Rule two: Never leave it unattended. Not for a second. Not to answer a text. Not to check on something in the house. You stay with it. And keep kids and pets nowhere near it.
Rule three: The oil stays dangerously hot for hours after you’re done. Treat it like it’s still actively cooking.
Rule four: Don’t overfill the fryer. And this is critical—make sure your turkey is completely thawed. Completely. Ice inside a hot fryer causes oil to explode violently. This is not a guess. This is physics.
How Much Oil Do You Actually Need?
Here’s the trick to not overfilling. Before you do anything else, place the thawed turkey in the basket and put it in the pot. Add water until it reaches about two inches above the turkey. Remove the turkey and measure how high the water went using a ruler. Remove the water and dry the pot completely. Now add oil to that exact same level. Done. You’ve got the right amount.
What You’ll Need
A 40- or 60-quart pot with basket or turkey frying hardware. A propane gas tank and burner. A candy/deep fry thermometer. A meat thermometer. Plenty of oil with a high smoke point—corn, peanut, or canola oil work great.
Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to put out an oil fire. Never.
And use a turkey under 15 pounds for frying. Smaller birds work better. Bigger birds are more dangerous.
Read the Instructions First
Before you even touch the fryer, read and follow all the manufacturer’s instructions. That one thing stops half the problems before they start.
Here’s the Bottom Line
Thanksgiving should be about family, food, and memories. Not hospital visits and fire trucks. Stay in the kitchen while you’re cooking. Keep your turkey completely thawed. Use your fryer outdoors and never leave it unattended. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby. And if something does catch fire, know what to do.
You’ve got this. Just be smart about it. Your family will thank you.
