A few years back, I burned the kitchen down in my condominium (two days after moving in!). I have to say that if I had followed some of the safety tips in the Consumer Reports Safety blog, below, it wouldn’t have happened. Be safe, and have a Happy Thanksgiving. – Roxanne

Seven tips for a safer Thanksgiving

Some 4,300 cooking fires will break out this Thanksgiving Day, resulting in 15 deaths. Poison control centers will receive hundreds of calls about food and alcohol poisoning. And on the roads, more than 1,000 people will likely be killed during the two-week Thanksgiving holiday season (from now until December 1). Many of these tragedies are preventable. With less than a week to go before the big day, Consumer Reports gives you seven ways to make it a safe, happy Thanksgiving.

Keep an eye on the kitchen. The range accounts for nearly 60 percent of all cooking-related home fires. Never leave food that’s frying, grilling, or broiling unattended. When boiling or baking, don’t walk away from the kitchen for long. Use back burners when young children are present, turn pot handles in, and enforce a kids-free-zone of at least 3 feet from any hot stove.

Want to trot out a deep-fried turkey? We have concerns over propane-fired turkey fryers, which can heat oil to the point of combustion. In Consumer Reports tests, the Masterbuilt Butterball Professional Series Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer turned out a nicely-browned, juicy bird with less risk of fire.