VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – With Thanksgiving Day just a little over a week away, we’re On Your Side with how to safely cook holiday dinner.

Virginia Beach Assistant Fire Chief Norman Williams said there are a lot of dangers associated with cooking Thanksgiving Dinner.

For example, there can be too many people in the kitchen. Leaving oven mitts too close to a hot pan is also a dangerous scenario.

Williams also advises people who choose to deep fry a turkey to do it outside and to start with a thawed turkey rather than a frozen one.

But he told 10 On Your Side his main piece of advice is to stand by your pan.

“So if you’re going to cook something, please do not walk away,” Williams said. “Pay attention to what you’re doing and be mindful of things that you have on the stove or near the stove.”

But, if you do happen to spark a fire while cooking on Thanksgiving, Williams has some safety tips and steps. First call 911, try to safely cover the flames with a pot lid or use a fire extinguisher if you need to.