Deep-fried turkeys pose fire danger ahead of Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving nears, safety experts warn that deep-frying turkeys can spark dangerous fires if precautions aren't followed.

Transcript

00:00Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and many folks will be deep frying that turkey.

00:04And as tasty as that will be, it can also be very dangerous.

00:07So before you go gobbling up that bird, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind,

00:12and it all starts with the turkey itself.

00:14You need to make sure that your turkey is completely defrosted before you do submerge it in the oil.

00:19As we know, oil and water don't mix, and that can cause a flare-up.

00:23And you also want to make sure that you are slowly submerging the turkey,

00:26following the manufacturer's guidance as far as how much oil is in the pot,

00:31and that you're not using a turkey too large for the pot itself.

00:35Do not attempt to deep fry the turkey indoors or in a covered space.

00:39Ensure that your fryer is outdoors, not inside of a dwelling, not inside of a garage.

00:44It's located on a flat surface.

00:45Wearing protective gloves when handling the turkey to keep your hands free of the heat,

00:49and don't wear any loose clothing.

00:51A sleeve or a dress, something that can flow in the wind, could come in contact with the oil,

00:58could come in contact with the heating mechanism and the flame, and can ignite very quickly.

01:02Grease fires are extremely dangerous, can easily get out of control in a hurry.

01:07Grease fires are dangerous because they can easily involve spreading and splattering of this is a liquid that's burning.

01:14And unlike something that's a solid state of matter that's on fire, that's not going to move,

01:19this can be really dangerous when there are spills involved and suddenly the fire can easily spread.

01:24And your first inclination may be to douse it with water, but that is the worst thing you can do.

01:29Do not put water on it.

01:30Water is going to spread a grease fire.

01:33It's not going to put it out.

01:34So call 911, and if you have a fire extinguisher rated for cooking or grease fires, you can use that.

01:40Have a safe Thanksgiving, everyone.

01:41For AccuWeather, I'm meteorologist Tony Laubach.