Ill. ranked 2nd for Thanksgiving Day cooking fires | Families

(KFVS) - Based on data collected by State Farm, more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.

They say grease and cooking-related claims more than double on Thanksgiving Day compared to an average day in November.

According to the insurance company, with the popularity of turkey frying increasing, more people than ever are at risk for fryer related fires and injuries. They U.S. fire departments are responding to more than 1,000 fires each year in which a deep fryer is involved.

The National Fire Protection Association says deep fryer fires result in more than $15 million in property damage each year and hot oil splatter can cause serious burns to an adult or life threatening injuries to a child.

According to claims data from State Farm, the top 10 states for grease and cooking-related claims on Thanksgiving Day (2005-2010) include:

• Texas - 36
• Illinois - 24
• Ohio - 21
• New York - 17
• Pennsylvania - 17
• Michigan - 15
• Florida - 14
• Minnesota - 14
• Indiana - 13
• Louisiana - 12

The insurance company also offers some tips on reducing your risk of a fire:

• Cook outdoors at a safe distance from any buildings or trees and keep the fryer off any wooden structure, such as a deck or patio
• Avoid a hot oil spill over by first filling the pot with cold oil and then lower the thawed turkey into the pot to determine how much oil should be either removed or added
• Shut off the fuel source or flame when adding the turkey to the hot oil to prevent a dangerous flare-up if oil does spill over the rim
• Make sure your turkey is properly thawed before lowering it slowly into the pot
• Never leave a hot turkey fryer unattended
• Do not use ice or water to cool down oil or extinguish an oil fire
• Keep an extinguisher approved for cooking or grease fire nearby

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