Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and millions of Americans will soon take to the kitchen and the road to share the holiday feast with loved ones. Because Thanksgiving is a peak time for home cooking fires and congested travel, the American Red Cross and insurance agents across the country ask everyone to follow the 20 steps above to help stay safe this holiday. |

1,800 cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates an average of 1,800 cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day each year — three times the number on any other day of the year. You can help protect yourself and your family from home fires — the nation's most frequent disaster — by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your fire escape plan, using free resources from the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. "Sadly, each year, cooking fires tragically alter people's lives on Thanksgiving," said Harvey Johnson, senior vice president of Disaster Cycle Services for the American Red Cross. "We urge everyone to follow a few simple steps to safely enjoy the holiday." |

Travel challenges

Thanksgiving 2018 will be the busiest for travel in more than a decade. Based on historical and recent travel trends, INRIX, a mobility analytics company, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion Thanksgiving week during the early evening commute period, with travel times starting to increase on Monday. Drivers in San Francisco, New York City and Boston will see the largest delays — nearly quadruple normal drive times. "Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and this year will be no different," says Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. "Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic. Our advice to drivers is to avoid commuting times in major cities altogether or plan alternative routes." In most cases, the best days to travel will be on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or Saturday, according to AAA. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday as most holiday travelers will be making their way home after the long weekend. Related: 24 busiest airports for Thanksgiving week (and busiest time)