To fry or not to fry: Thanksgiving safety

  • Published
  • By Tyndall Fire & Emergency Services
  • 325th Civil Engineer Squadron
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Big food and big games--this year will be just as full of them as previous years.

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving could spell big trouble for some that use turkey fryers to cook their turkey. Turkey fryers use a substantial quantity of cooking oil at high temperatures; units currently available for home use pose a significant danger that hot oil could be released at some point during the cooking process.

The use of turkey fryers can lead to devastating burns, other injuries and the destruction of property. Take for instance the loss of a $120,000 military family housing unit at Hill Air Force Base, Salt Lake City, Utah in 2004.

The National Fire Protection Association discourages the use of turkey fryers except by trained professionals using quality commercial grade equipment. Tyndall Fire & Emergency Services also recommends that if you wish to have your turkey deep fried this holiday season, seek out professional services such as grocery stores, specialty food retailers and restaurants for preparation of the dish.

IF YOU SHOULD CHOOSE TO USE A TURKEY FRYER THIS SEASON... PLEASE REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING:

· Hot oil can splash from the fryer at any time due to a bump or the insertion or removal of the turkey causing burns. Contact of hot oil with flames can cause a quick and intense fire.
· When deep frying, oils are heated to 350 degrees. Cooking oil is combustible, and if heated beyond its cooking temperature, the vapors can ignite. A faulty or nonexistent temperature control can also cause big trouble.
· As with any other type of cooking--never leave the turkey fryer unattended.
· The frying process requires that up to five gallons of oil be heated before placing the turkey inside. Tests have proven that some available fryers are very unsturdy and can easily tip over spilling hot oil and creating a severe fire and burn hazard.
· Read and heed the instructions that are detailed in the owner's manual of the fryer that you have purchased. One mistake can be deadly.

If you are still on the fence about how to cook your feathered friend for dinner this season, please consider the following two important points, and "Bake, for safety's sake."

1. The NFPA continues to discourage the use of oil-based fryers and believes that turkey fryers as currently designed, are not suitable for acceptably safe use by even a well-informed and careful consumer. Or in simpler terms--even if you read all the directions and follow all of the safety rules and recommendations, things can still go horribly wrong. The NFPA recommends the use of oil-less fryers as an alternative.

2. Based on their observations, Underwriters Laboratory, a global source for product safety compliance, will not certify any turkey oil-based fryers that are currently available for testing. They have, however listed oil-less models such as infrared fryers.