COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — It’s not too early to think about your Thanksgiving meal. The Colorado Springs Fire Department wants everyone to stay safe this holiday season so they held a demonstration on Friday.

Firefighters fried a turkey the wrong way to show people what they shouldn’t do on Turkey Day and the dangers of what could happen. Thanksgiving Day is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. So far this year, CSFD has had the most calls for cooking fires.

“We did everything wrong to show, this is what you don’t do and so we overfilled the oil, we got the oil hotter than it should be,” Captain Michael Smaldino said.

If your family is going to use a turkey fryer this holiday season the Colorado Springs Fire Department want you to follow the following tips:

Always use the turkey fryer outdoors at safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burnMake sure the fryer is on a flat surface to reduce accidental tippingThaw out the turkey completely and pat it dryKeep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby (never use water)Never leave the fryer unattendedDon’t let children or pets near the fryerDo not overfill the fryerUse well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching the pot or lid handles

On Friday, CSFD had all the safety tools ready to go, and they want you to also have a fire plan too.

Don’t forget to put out a grease fire you’ll need to smother the flames with either a pot cover, flour, or an all-purpose or dry-chemical extinguisher. Of course, immediately call 9-1-1 if you can’t put out the fire yourself.