MISSOULA — The Missoula Rural Fire District is issuing some cooking safety reminders ahead of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day sees nearly 1,500 home cooking fires annually, making it the most dangerous day of the year for kitchen blazes, according to new data from fire safety experts.

An estimated 1,446 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving Day in 2023, reflecting a 388% increase over the daily average, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked as the second and third-leading days of the year for home cooking fires.

"Thanksgiving is a hectic holiday with multiple dishes cooking and baking at the same time, and along with guests, entertaining, and other distractions, it can be easy to lose sight of wha

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