As folks prepare for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Winterville Fire Marshal and Assistant Chief Tony Smart is offering some safety tips to prevent cooking fires.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.
The NFPA says in 2017, nearly four times as many home cooking fires occurred as on a typical day.
Also in 2017, Untied States fire departments responded to 1,730 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving according to the NFPA.
Unattended cooking was the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. Smart says that is still the case now.
He says it's important to stay in the kitchen when cooking your Thanksgiving meal and to stay in the home when cooking your turkey to check on it frequently.