Thanksgiving can be an exciting time with family, good food and fun times. But, Loudoun organizations say, the long hours of cooking and heavy traffic present dangers.

Cooking the bird

According to Fire Rescue, you are more likely to have a cooking fire on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year.

The organization released a few tips to help keep things under control:

■ Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

■ Keep the Cooking Range free of clutter. Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.

■ Do not pour water on a grease fire. Pouring water on a grease fire can cause it to spread.  Instead, turn off the burner and put a lid on the fire.

■ For an oven fire, turn off the heat and close the oven door.

■ Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. This could cause an explosion if it gets hot, sending dangerous shards of glass in all directions.

■ Avoid using a turkey fryer. National Fire Protection Association currently discourages the use of outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers that immerse the turkey in hot oil. Use of these fryers can lead to devastating injuries, burns and the loss of property.

■ Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. This type of clothing can ignite and catch fire. Wear short, or close fitting sleeves.

■ Turn pot handles away so that young children cannot reach a cooking pot and accidentally get burned.

■ Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Most home fire begin in the kitchen because food is left unattended.

■ If you have a cooking fire, just get out then call 9-1-1! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.

Getting to your destination

The Virginia State Police are encouraging motorists to make safety a priority during Thanksgiving weekend. After a three-year decline in fatal traffic accidents, Virginia is seeing more deaths on state highways.

Approximately 17 more people have been killing in traffic crashes this year than last, at least on Nov. 15.

“In recent years, Virginia has made significant progress in reducing traffic crashes on our highways,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “We can’t lose that momentum as too many lives are at stake. There is just over a month left in 2011, so let’s make the most of it by making smart, safe and sober decisions when behind the wheel of a vehicle.”

State crashes had claimed 662 lives in Virginia as of Nov. 15, and 34 adults, teenagers and children were killed in 28 crashes in the first 15 days of this month alone. Fifteen weren’t wearing seat belts, and three were motorcyclists

Virginia State Police are ramping up safety citations for the holiday weekend in an effort to keep the death tally blank.

Last year during the holiday weekend, Virginia State Police troopers cited 831 seat belt violations, and 253 summonses were issued for children not being properly secured.

The 2010 Operation C.A.R.E. Initiative, held over the Thanksgiving weekend, also resulted in 10,116 speeders and 2,780 reckless drivers being stopped, as well as 175 drunk drivers being taken off the road and arrested.

Ten people died in crashes during the 2010 weekend, 16 in 2009,, and 12 in 2008.