Of course, Fire Safety Fran hopes her ham-handed humor doesn’t discount just how dangerous deep frying your turkey can be, so she’s also culled this safety video for you all to watch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtaV7gr_qhs&w=560&h=315]
As you can clearly see a fireball of awful can start immediately and quickly get out of control. So take care if you will be deep frying this Thanksgiving and follow ALL of these safety tips:- Turkey fryers can be very unstable. Therefore it is imperative that you set up on a stable, fire resistant area outside away from flammable structures. Make sure you establish a three-foot kid- and pet-free zone around the fryer.
- Properly fill the fryer with oil. As Fran suggested above, place the turkey in the fryer and fill to the fill line with water; carefully remove the turkey and mark a line at the top level of the remaining water. This is the amount of oil you will need to put in for the turkey.
- Never put a partially frozen or wet turkey into the hot oil. The moisture will cause spattering that can quickly evolve into a massive fireball.
- Never leave the fryer unattended. This includes during the heating phase. The majority of fryers do not have a controllable temperature feature, therefore, the oil can overheat and start a fire on its own.
- Remember that the pot, handles and lid will be scorching hot, please take care to use appropriate gloves to protect yourself.
- Have a chemical fire extinguisher for oil fires on hand, remember hitting an oil fire with water will only serve to spread the fire.
- Never set up in your garage or under a deck, the fryer must be out in the open.
- U.S. fire departments respond to more than 1,000 fires each year in which a deep fryer is involved. (State Farm claims data)
- Deep fryer fires result in more than $15 million in property damage each year. (National Fire Protection Association)
