With Thanksgiving just a few days away, Acting State Fire Marshal Randy Simpson is reminding Oregonians to practice cooking fire safety when preparing holiday meals.

>From 2003 through 2007, there were 1,367 cooking-related fires in Oregon causing four deaths, 105 injuries and $8.6 million in property loss.

"Every year there is an increase of cooking-related fires during the holidays," said Simpson. "Taking a few simple steps can keep you and your loved ones from having a tragic Thanksgiving."

Cooking safety tips:
• Keep a close eye on your cooking, never leave cooking food unattended
• Keep your cooking area clean, including stovetop, oven, and exhaust fan
• Keep potholders, dishtowels and other combustibles away from stove burners
• Heat cooking oil slowly and watch it closely; it can ignite quickly
• Watch your sleeves. Loose sleeves over burners can ignite or catch on handles of pots and pans spilling hot oil and other liquids
• Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and know how to use it

With the increased use of turkey fryers, be sure to use them outdoors and away from combustible material.

"If you're cooking your turkey in a deep fat fryer, do it outdoors and never leave it unattended," advises Simpson. "Hot oil is extremely dangerous, don't use turkey fryers on a wooden deck or in your garage."

Place the fryer on a flat, stable surface and do not overfill the unit with cooking oil. Do not move the fryer once it has been started, and only place turkeys that are completely thawed out in them. Keep children away from the cooking unit, and use a thermometer to gauge food temperature. Make sure the oil is completely cool before removing it from the fryer, and never attempt to use water to extinguish or cool hot oil.

Additional turkey fryer safety tips:
• Raise and lower food slowly to reduce splatter and prevent burns.
• Cover bare skin when adding or removing food from the fryer.
• Make sure to have at least two feet of space between the propane tank and the fryer burner.
• If the oil begins to smoke, immediately turn the fryer gas supply off.

Oregonians are reminded to have smoke alarms on every level of their home, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom. Test your smoke alarms monthly. Replace smoke alarms that are 8-10 years old.

Shoplifting is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The National Crime Prevention Institute has estimated that shoplifting costs the American storeowners over $30 billion a year. Shoplifting is a crime of opportunity. Training employees and smart store design are the first and most important lines of defense.

Regardless of their skill level, it is very important to remember that shoplifters come in all sizes and shapes. There is no such thing as the typical shoplifter. The following tips are aimed at assisting you in protecting your store:

Vigilant Employees. Your employees have to be alert and vigilant. Greet every customer that walks into your store. Ask how you can help them or let them know you will be with them as soon as possible. Watch your customers and don’t turn your back on them. Not only is it good customer service, it’s a good preventive measure.

Fast and efficient service. This is a deterrent to shoplifting, especially in juveniles. Quick service and special attention will go a long way in reducing the opportunity and the temptation to steal. It’s been proven time after time that a shoplifter will avoid the store with "effective security" in favor of the easy mark.

Put yourself in the shoplifter's shoes. Look around your store for the weak spots or places where it would be easy to steal something; then correct it. Change the layout, lock items down, install mirrors, remove small items near the doors, etc Avoid building "blind spots" in the store with displays that block visibility. Articles of high value that can be easily stolen should be safeguarded in secured display cabinets.

Check the lighting levels throughout your store. Good store lighting makes it tougher to conceal shoplifting.

Be aware that some thieves steal by removing or switching price tags. Make sure that price tags are not easily removed.

Place expensive items in the center of the store, away from the door.

All discarded sales receipts found on the floor or elsewhere should be picked up. This will prevent someone from stealing your property and then returning it with the discarded receipt for cash back.

Establish some kind of alert system so all the sales staff can discreetly keep an eye on suspicious shoppers.

Once again, make eye contact with every customer that enters your store, and be sure to greet each customer with "How can I help you?" or "I'll be right with you.".... Making eye contact is a psychological deterrent because the shoplifter feels that you can now ID them if they commit a theft.

• Watch the person who is:
• Constantly looking around.
• Walking around the store with one hand in their pocket.
• Constantly touching the back of their heads, tugging on sleeves or adjusting socks.
• Walking into the back room or behind the counters.
• Picking up an item and then walking behind a display or counter.
• Carrying large purses, shopping bags boxes or umbrellas.
• Watch a person’s hands. When they pick up a piece of merchandise and hold it, it may be to buy it or to steal it. Watch the person who loiters around a certain area handling items and making no attempt to ask for assistance or purchase.
• Watch for people who travel in twos or threes. Often one will keep you busy or act as a lookout while the others steal from you.