We've all heard the horror stories about deep frying a Thanksgiving turkey but have you ever actually seen it for yourself? The National Fire Prevention Association strongly discourages the use of turkey fryers. According the the NFPA, "Cooking equipment was involved in almost half of all reported home fires and home fire injuries, and it is the second leading cause of home fire deaths." If you've never seen what can happen when you try to deep fry a turkey, watch this:

It isn't just fryers that can be dangerous on Thanksgiving though. NFPA shares some additional tips to prevent fires and stay safe this holiday season:

  • Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
  • Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.
  • Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.
  • Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
  • Keep knives out of the reach of children.
  • Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
  • Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
  • Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
  • Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
  • Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

The bottom line is that we want you to be able to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with your friends and family without a trip to the emergency room or worse. To learn more about fire safety and prevention, particularly for Thanksgiving, visit NFPA.org now.

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