BATON ROUGE- Thanksgiving is the peak time for kitchen and cooking fires.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning was live with W-B-R-Z with helpful safety tips.

For those getting ready to fry their turkey, Browning advises people keep the fryer away from the house and deck, defrost the bird beforehand and don't fill the pot all the way with oil.

If a fire does break out while frying, Browning says people should back away from the flames. According to the fire marshal, residents can put out the fire with a "good fire extinguisher" but chances are the fire department will have to be called.