Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and of course food and the Akron Fire Department is giving you a few safety tips so that fires don't  put a damper on your holiday fun.

Akron Fire Captain Al Bragg says that cooking fires can pose a real danger to people.

"In the United States, cooking is the number one cause of fire, in the city of Akron, cooking is the number one cause of fire," Bragg said.

"As a matter of fact if you take the next three or four leading causes and add them up, they still do not equal the number of cooking fires here in Akron."

Captain Bragg says the number one rule of holiday fire safety is to keep a close eye on your food.

"Never leave your cooking unattended, " he says. "If you do, something devastating can occur."

Other tips for cooks include not wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves, keeping the the kids away from the cooking area, and keeping anything that can catch fire away from the stove or oven.

Smoke alarm batteries should be updated as well tor prevent any mishaps from occuring during the holidays.