By Alethia Kasben
Managing Editor
Posted: November 22, 2017 3:29 PM

Since it is the season of giving, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs decided to give us all some great advice on how to not start a kitchen fire when preparing dinner on Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving, is the leading day for home cooking fires, according to State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer. Even more so for those who decide to use portable deep-fryers to cook their turkey.

Mr. Sehlmeyer warns that oil-less electric or infrared models are much safer to use when frying a turkey (though, I imagine, far less fun). For the record, my only experience with a deep-fried turkey comes from an episode of Gilmore Girls, and with the amount of booze flowing in that episode, it did look fun. But definitely dangerous.

So if you must use a portable propane deep fryer, Mr. Sehlmeyer has some recommended precautions. The first one is to read the guide (smart advice).

He also recommends keep the fryer away from your house, decks, trees, garages and other things that could be set on fire, including children and pets. But still keep a dry-powder fire extinguisher nearby.

Mr. Sehlmeyer also does not want you to leave the fryer unattended or overfill the fryer with oil. He does want you to use a fryer with a gas valve controller, make sure the turkey is completely thawed before frying, use the recommended oil and well-insulated oven mitts.

For those of us who are not using a deep fryer, we are not in the clear. Cooking in the kitchen also comes with risks, especially since cooks tend to get distracted when guests arrive. The average number of reported residential fires more than doubles on Thanksgiving Day.

So for traditional chefs, Mr. Sehlmeyer said to start with a clean stove and oven, wear short sleeves or roll your sleeves up so you don’t catch yourself on fire, keep children away from cooking areas, among other things.

I will also add my own advice Mr. Sehlmeyer did not offer, maybe don’t go too hard on the wine until after dinner is ready (or if you aren’t helping).