ESCABIA COUNTY, Fla. – Roasting your Thanksgiving turkey could be more dangerous than you think. Officials say the risk of your house catching fire is highest on Thanksgiving.

Cooking is the cause of most holiday fires, which is why fire prevention starts in the kitchen.

Lt. Greg McLellan of the Pensacola Fire Department says these home fires are often preventable.

With the holidays come family, festive food and an increased risk of your house catching fire. Cooking is the cause of more than 50% of all home fires.

This risk increases by almost 400% on Thanksgiving alone. One of the leading causes of a house fire during the holidays is unattended cooking.

McLellan says there’s an easy way to avoid this.

“Every time you leave the room, there’s always that opportunity,” McLellan says. “So it’s best to stay in the kitchen with what you’re cooking.”

McLellan says frying your turkey is another possible cause of a house fire.

If you plan to use a frozen turkey, McLellan says the one step most people go wrong is not allowing it to thaw completely. Some of the risks to consider include the fryer possibly tipping over or pouring too much oil into the pan.

“Never leave it,” says McLellan. ‘Always keep your eyes on it. Sit there. Be a little careful with it.’

The risk of a vacation home fire extends beyond your Thanksgiving meal.

“Christmas, Christmas lights and the cold weather,” says McLellan. “So when it gets cold, people use space heaters, sometimes they don’t use space heaters properly, and that results in a house fire.”

The National Fire Protection Association reports that Christmas Day and Christmas Eve also see some of the highest numbers of cooking fires recorded annually, with the daily average nearly doubling.

McLellan says it’s about doing whatever it takes to keep your home and your food safe.

“Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen,” says McLellan. “And if it gets too bad, leave. Get everyone out. Also make sure you have a smoke detector in your house.’

Whether you’re an experienced Thanksgiving cook or a first-timer, McLellan says it’s best to have a plan in case something goes wrong.