Thanksgiving Tops U.S. Home Cooking Fires as Red Cross Braces for Busier Response

Overview

• NFPA reports about 1,446 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving 2022, roughly 388% of the daily average.
• The Indiana Red Cross says Thanksgiving and the day before are the top two days for cooking fires, with cooking tied to about 158,400 home fires a year and 44% of home fires nationwide.
• The American Red Cross of Colorado reports recent busy days and anticipates more, citing past seasonal increases including 65 fires in November–December 2024 that affected over 200 people, about 20% higher than October.
• Cooking drives a large share of incidents in Colorado, where 44% of fires are cooking-related, with unattended food and nonworking smoke detectors flagged as frequent factors.
• Safety guidance includes staying in the kitchen for active cooking, setting timers, keeping kids and pets three feet away, clearing combustibles, cleaning grease, installing and testing smoke alarms, checking appliances before bed or leaving, and unplugging holiday lights when away.