U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,139 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day 2024, or 321 percent of the daily average, according to the National Fire Protection Association. NFPA’s data show Thanksgiving remains the peak day of the year for home cooking fires, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve close behind.
Key Takeaways
- An estimated 1,139 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving Day 2024, according to NFPA.
- From 2020 to 2024, cooking caused 80% of home structure fires on Thanksgiving Day and 35% of the civilian injuries in those fires.
- Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked as the second- and third-leading days for home cooking fires in 2024.
- Unattended equipment is a factor in an estimated 25% of reported home cooking fires and 43% of the associated deaths.
- Cooking is involved in 51% of all reported U.S. home fires and 35% of home fire injuries, according to NFPA.
- NFPA strongly discourages turkey fryers that use cooking oil.
NFPA Counted 1,139 Thanksgiving Cooking Fires in 2024
The National Fire Protection Association’s latest figures put Thanksgiving Day 2024 at an estimated 1,139 home cooking fires reported to U.S. fire departments. That’s 321 percent of the daily average, or more than three times the number on a typical day of the year.
NFPA’s annual estimates vary from year to year, and the agency publishes them as estimates rather than exact counts. What holds steady is the pattern: in every recent year of NFPA data, Thanksgiving has produced several times the usual number of home cooking fires. The figures describe fires reported to fire departments, so smaller kitchen fires that households put out themselves aren’t counted.
Cooking Drives Most Thanksgiving Home Fires
On Thanksgiving Day, cooking is the main cause of house fires. From 2020 to 2024, cooking accounted for 80% of home structure fires that occurred on Thanksgiving, according to NFPA, and for 35% of the civilian injuries in those fires. NFPA recorded no civilian deaths in Thanksgiving cooking fires during those five years.
Across the whole year, cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. NFPA says cooking causes 51% of all reported home fires, 35% of home fire injuries and 16% of home fire deaths.
The Holiday Fire Season Runs From Thanksgiving Through Christmas
Thanksgiving opens a stretch of the calendar that fire departments watch closely. In 2024, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked as the second- and third-leading days of the year for home cooking fires, according to NFPA. The same holidays bring large meals, more people in the kitchen and more distractions, the conditions NFPA links to cooking fires.
NFPA also identifies December as a leading month for U.S. home fires overall. In its December guidance, the organization points to cooking alongside heating equipment, candles, holiday decorations and Christmas trees as factors that raise fire risk during the winter holidays. For households, the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are a single risk season rather than a series of separate holidays.
Unattended Cooking Is Linked to 43% of Cooking Fire Deaths
NFPA’s data point to one behavior above the others. Unattended cooking equipment is a factor in an estimated 25% of reported home cooking fires and 43% of the deaths associated with them, according to NFPA. The gap between those two figures suggests that fires starting while no one is watching are more likely to turn deadly.
Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy, has described Thanksgiving as a hectic day of multiple dishes cooking at once, with guests and entertaining making it easy to lose track of the stove or oven. That combination helps explain why the spike shows up year after year.
NFPA’s Guidance for Thanksgiving Cooks
NFPA’s Thanksgiving recommendations focus on attention and distance:
- Stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop, and keep an eye on food.
- When roasting a turkey, remain at home and check on it regularly.
- Keep items that can catch fire, such as oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers and towels, at least three feet from the cooking area.
- Keep a lid beside the pan. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan, turn off the burner and leave the cover on until the pan cools.
NFPA strongly discourages turkey fryers that use cooking oil because of their potential for severe burns. Its suggested alternatives are buying a fried turkey from a grocery store or restaurant, or using a fryer that does not use oil.
FAQs
How many cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving?
NFPA estimates that 1,139 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving Day 2024, or 321 percent of the daily average.
What are the leading days for home cooking fires?
Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, according to NFPA’s 2024 data.
What causes most Thanksgiving home fires?
Cooking caused 80% of home structure fires on Thanksgiving Day from 2020 to 2024, and unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in home cooking fires, according to NFPA.
Does NFPA recommend frying a turkey at home?
No. NFPA strongly discourages turkey fryers that use cooking oil and suggests buying a fried turkey from a store or restaurant, or using a fryer that does not use oil.
How should a grease fire on the stove be handled?
NFPA advises sliding a lid over the pan to smother small grease fires, turning off the burner and leaving the cover on until the pan has cooled.
