Thanksgiving starts off the season of cooking, shopping and enjoying time with family and friends. The highlight of the Thanksgiving holiday is the food and the Austin Fire Department would like to remind you to take the proper precautions and stay safe when preparing this meal.

As you begin cooking your meal, the fire department recommends the following safety tips to help prevent cooking fires, which was the leading cause of structure fires in Minnesota last year.

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking. If you must leave the kitchen, turn off the stove and move the pan from the burner.

• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check it frequently.

• Keep children and flammable items (oven mitts, towels, and wooden spoons) three feet from the stove.

• Avoid loose-fitting clothing that can easily catch fire.

• If a fire starts, slide a tight-fitting lid on the pan and turn off the heat.

• It is strongly discouraged to use an outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryer which involves immersing the turkey in hot oil.

• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

For additional fire safety information, go to www.ci.austin.mn.us or the City of Austin Facebook page.