Thanksgiving Hazards: Deep Fried Turkey a Fire Risk

As indicated by fair food and most fast food fare, deep-fried anything is almost guaranteed to be delicious. But Prince William County residents need to be careful if they follow the deep-fried trend when preparing Thanksgiving’s largest dinner item: the turkey.

Delicious as it might be, frying turkey is also extremely dangerous and the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue would rather you leave it up to professionals.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, about 2,000 homes catch fire in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day each year, resulting in deaths, injuries and millions in property loss.

Though at-home turkey fryers have become safer over the past few years, the National Fire Protection Association says the amount of oil and high temperatures needed to cook a turkey in a fryer makes it unsafe for any inexperienced home cook to attempt.

According to the Prince William County Fire department, the following dangers are associated with turkey fryers:

• Hot oil can spill or splash onto the flame, igniting a fire. This is most dangerous when placing the turkey in the fryer and when removing it.

• Fryers designed for outdoor use with or without a stand are prone to collapse,

causing a hot oil spill.

• Cooking oil is combustible. If heated beyond its cooking temperature (375°), its

vapors can ignite.

• Steam can result from hot cooking oil exposed to snow or rain causing a

splattering of the hot oil and leading to burns.

• The use of turkey fryers in close quarters poses a burn hazard/danger to children

and others in the home. Oil inside a pot can stay dangerously hot for hours after

use. DO NOT use in, on or under a garage, deck, breezeway, porch, barn or any

structure that can catch fire.

• Frozen or partially frozen turkeys, when cooked, will cause the hot oil to splatter

or produce hot steam leading to burns. Call 911 immediately in the case of a fire.

o NEVER use water to extinguish a grease fire.

The fire department also warns against the dangers of unattended stove burners on Thanksgiving, and urges you to “look when you cook.”

The leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking, according to the fire department. These fires are preventable if you follow these tips:

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the

stove if you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time.

• If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check it regularly,

remain in the home while food is cooking and use a timer to remind you that

you are cooking.

• Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stove, i.e. oven mitts,

wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains.

For more information about the dangers of turkey fryers, watch this video or visit the Prince William County Fire Department online.

image via shutterstock