In anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday, many cooks are stocking up on ingredients and perfecting family recipes.

But before they mash the potatoes or roast the turkey, they will want to take precautions to ensure that their kitchen doesn’t end up in flames.

Residential fires grow in prevalence during the holiday season. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, Thanksgiving is the top day for home cooking fires.

The agency offers the following tips to help residents lessen their chances of a fire ruining their Thanksgiving feast.

•Be present. Fires often start when items cooking are left unattended, so always stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, baking or broiling food. When leaving the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the oven or stove.

•Dress accordingly. Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangly sleeves while cooking. Loose clothing can easily catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

•Keep kids out. Enforce a kidfree zone of 3 feet around the perimeter of the stove. If children are in the kitchen, use the stove’s back burners and turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk that pots with hot contents will be knocked over.

•Clean, clean, clean. Be sure the stove top and oven are free of grease, which can easily catch fire. Keep all combustible cooking accessories, such as pot holders, oven mitts and wooden utensils, away from the stove top.

If a fire should ignite in the oven, turn off the oven, unplug the appliance and remove any dish towels that may be hanging on the front of the oven door. A fire extinguisher should always be at hand to quickly put out any fires. In the event of an emergency, call 911.

This article is provided by SERVPRO, a provider of fire and water cleanup and restoration services and mold mitigation.