The FDNY is offering fire safety tips for cooking Thanksgiving turkeys.
Members of New York's Bravest were on hand Tuesday at the Bronx Terminal Market on Exterior Street, giving advice and demonstrations of the best and safest practices to use when cooking a Thanksgiving turkey.
Lt. Anthony Mancuso, director of fire safety and education, says the number of fires quadruple around the holidays. According to the FDNY, incidents increase to around 213 each year.
Mancuso says in case a fire does break out when cooking, there are a few tips everyone could use.
He says never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Instead use baking soda, and try to cover the fire. For fires that break out in the microwave or the oven, he says close the door to the appliance immediately and unplug it.
For those using deep fryers to cook their turkey, Mancuso says you must cook it outside. He says always make sure the turkey is completely dry and thawed out because frozen turkeys will cause backsplash. He says make sure the oil is at the correct level and temperature so not to cause overspill.
Overall, Mancusos says always remain focused when cooking food. He recommends that if you do get called away from the kitchen while cooking that you carry a spoon or cooking utensil with you so to remind yourself that something is on the stove.