Did you know that 2 out of 3 home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials and that Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for home cooking fires? The U.S. Fire Administration reports these and other facts about cooking fires from the National Fire Protection Association based on 2006-2010 annual averages.
Ranges accounted for about one out of two home cooking fires. Deep frying a turkey presents additional risks.
The U.S. Fire Administration highlights these most common risks when using turkey fryers.
- Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area.
- An overfilled cooking pot will cause cooking oil to spill when the turkey is put in. A partially thawed turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when put in the pot.
- Even a small amount of cooking oil spilling on a hot burner can cause a large fire.
- Deep fryers without thermostat controls can overheat oil and start a fire.
- The sides of the cooking pot, lid, and pot handles can get dangerously hot.
Still not convinced? Watch this video from Underwriter’s Laboratories to see how frying a turkey can be dangerous.
