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Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate for people to come together and celebrate all that they have to be thankful for; but all too often, the day ends in tragedy.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and the day before Thanksgiving.

There are many safety tips that can help ensure Thanksgiving remains the joyous occasion that it should be, said Troy fire marshal Brandy Cox.

“Deep-fried turkeys is always a big problem,” Cox said. “If you’re going to fry  a turkey, make sure to keep it away from the house and out from under any awnings if at all possible. And don’t overfill the pot with grease. Also make sure the turkey is completely thawed out before it is put in the fryer.”

Although deep-fried turkeys are well-known for causing incidents, Cox said the far greater cause of concern is simply unattended cooking.

“People often get sidetracked with so many distractions,” Cox said. “You have all of your phones and electronic devices, and then you also have family around and it’s easy to leave the stove unattended.”

The fire dangers are not contained to Thanksgiving, other fire hazards become a concern when entering the winter and Christmas seasons.

Many people will begin putting up Christmas trees soon, which is another unique hazard in the home.

“If you’re going to use a live tree, keep it watered because they will dry out over time,” Cox said. “And only use UL-approved lights; it will be labeled on the box. Don’t overload extension cords with Christmas lights.”

Space heaters are another concern in the colder months.

“If you’re using a space heater in the home, plug it into a wall outlet; extension cords are not designed to carry that kind of load and will short out, melt and cause a fire,” Cox said. “Also make sure there is three feet of clearance from any combustible materials.”