Avoid a House Fire When Frying a Turkey!

11/21/2017 (Permalink)

Turkey Grease Fire

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) warns about the dangers that come with gas-fueled turkey fryers, such as burns from hot oil or fire damage. On average, there are three times more turkey fryer claims during the holiday season than any other time of the year. The median cost for turkey fryer-related claims is almost $29,000. Follow this expert advice to know about common hazards of turkey fryers, how to prevent any injuries or damage, manage the risk, and decide if frying a turkey is even worth the risk.

Do's

Keep a fire extinguisher nearby

 Never use water on a grease fire. It will only spread the fire--and fast! Make sure to have an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby, and confirm that it hasn’t yet expired or is up-to-date on any necessary inspections. There’s nothing worse than trying to use a defunct fire extinguisher. Using an extinguisher will allow you to be far enough away while fighting any fires.

Beware of precipitation

 Falling rain and snow can lead to splattering of exposed oil or steam burns from contact with the hot cooker. Just as pouring hot water on a frozen windshield will crack it, having cold liquid hit hot oil will make it splatter or create unexpected steam that can burn.

Keep the fryer on a level surface

 Avoid accidental tipping and spills (which can lead to fire) by operating your turkey fryer on a solid, level surface at all times. These fryers are often tall and top-heavy, so ensure proper stabilization for the fryer on a level surface.

Keep children away

 Never ever let a pet or a child near the fryer. In this case, curiosity can kill. Protect small children and pets by keeping them away from the turkey fryer before, during, and after the turkey is getting fried. Even after cooking, the oil will be boiling hot and the fryer will still be subject to tipping over.

Test the process

 Before Thanksgiving or any other time you may want to fry a large bird, test out the process, and follow all this advice accordingly. When the cook is in a rush and trying something new and dangerous, corners are often cut, necessary precautions are not taken, and accidents happen. Test out the turkey fryer with another bird in order to understand the process and learn how to manage the risks days before everyone is hungry for the Thanksgiving meal.

Don'ts

Don't use a turkey fryer indoors

 Always use a turkey fryer outdoors, away from buildings, decks and anything else that can catch fire. Never use the turkey fryer in the garage either. Spilt oil can easily lead to unmanageable flames, putting your home, family, and friends in serious risk.

Do not leave a turkey fryer unattended

 Frying a turkey is at least a two-man operation. If something does go wrong, you’ll be grateful for that extra person to go and call for assistance. It’s also important that someone is watching the fryer for the duration of the cooking process, and the hot oil is dealt with after the cooking process is complete.

Do not forget to thaw the turkey first

 Never put a partially frozen turkey into hot oil, as ice and water can cause the oil to spill over and catch fire.

Do not use low quality cooking oil

 Because of the high temperatures of the cooking oil, you should use high quality oil that has a high smoke point, such as peanut or safflower oil. Anything less than that may cause severe smoke--not only ruining your turkey--but creating panic, and potentially leading to accident or injury.

Do not have inadequate home insurance coverage

 Aside from having to cook outdoors, you may really want to be as close to the house as you think is safely possible. Make sure that in the event of fire or smoke damage caused by using a turkey fryer, that your home insurance policy will cover the damage in the event of a claim. Making a claim can increase your monthly premiums--especially if the cause of the damage is seen as negligence with a turkey fryer. However, having adequate home insurance doesn’t excuse using a turkey fryer in any other way other than what is recommended.

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