(WSAZ) – What’s supposed to be one of the most joyous times of the year can quickly turn to dark shades of orange and black when cooking goes wrong on Thanksgiving.
The Ashland Fire Department offered a demonstration of a turkey fryer fire and tips to prevent one from happening, including the following:
– Always follow manufacturer’s instructions
– Don’t overfill with oil, leave room for the turkey
– Use a thermometer to ensure proper oil temperatures
– Make sure turkey is fully thawed
– Keep a lid close by to smother fire
– Wear proper clothing, pants, covered shoes, oven mitts, no dangling shirt sleeves.
– Never leave fryer unattended
– Always place on solid ground to avoid the cooking unit tipping over.
– If you do have a fire, use an ABC fire extinguisher and call the fire department immediately and do not use water as it will only spread the fire.
The Ashland Fire Department says even a small amount of cooking oil can cause a very large fire when it encounters the open flame burner design of a turkey fryer.
You are also not to use water or ice on your turkey fryer to cool it off it overheats, as this will cause a fire in most cases.
Never use a fryer inside any covered or enclosed spaces such as garages, carports, porches as you have seen the fire will spread very fast and can quickly spread the fire to your home.
Just as easily as a fire can happen while frying a turkey, one can happen in the kitchen.
“It seems like every Thanksgiving week, we have a bunch of kitchen fires. A lot of it is associated back to people not cleaning the stoves appropriately and ending up with an oven fire because you are cooking more in that week than you do any other time of the year, said Will McKenzie, deputy chief with the Ashland Fire Department.
Other tips recommended by first responders include:
– Call 911 Immediately
– Move flammable objects away from the stove when cooking, including food packages
– Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food
– Never leave your house unattended when you have food like a turkey in the oven.
– Purchase a fire extinguisher for your kitchen, and again, never using water to put out a grease fire.