Fire officials: Deep-frying turkey fraught with plenty of dangers

SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the last decade, deep-frying your Thanksgiving turkey has gained in popularity, but San Francisco fire officials say to do your homework to avoid a holiday catastrophe.

According to State Farm claims data, more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year and plenty of them are ignited by accidents involving a deep fryer filled with bubbling hot oil. 

"There are so many hazards that go around deep-frying a turkey," San Francisco Fire Capt. Jonathan Baxter told KPIX. "Each year, we have thousands of fires in our nation related to deep-fried turkeys."

If you are going to attempt it this week, Baxter said do your homework.

"If you are going to consider doing a deep-fried turkey, have a plan, know the dangers that go around it," he said. "If you look at how many things have to go into that, maybe you  should just bake it or maybe you should have someone just make it for me."

According to the experts, grease and cooking-related claims more than double on Thanksgiving Day compared to an average day in November. With the popularity of turkey frying, people are at risk for fryer-related fires and injuries.

Consumer-grade turkey fryers use a substantial quantity of cooking oil at high temperatures, which poses a significant fire threat.

The number one rule: is never fry a frozen turkey. As soon as a frozen turkey hits the hot oil, it will burst into a ball of flames.

The oil used for cooking should be heated to about 350 degrees.

Even following the proper safety guidelines, grease can splash all over the place and start a small fire that could get out of control. Make sure you have everything you need in case there's trouble, like a fire extinguisher -- not a hose.

Another important thing to remember is that oil remains hot for hours after the unit is turned off.

Other helpful safety tips:

• Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in a garage.
• Make sure the fryer is used on a flat surface to reduce tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer while in use. Even after use, use caution; the oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot for hours.
• Do not overfill the fryer.
• Be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix. Water causes oil to spill over, creating a fire or even an explosion hazard.

 According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), deep-fryer fires result in more than $15 million in property damage each year and hot oil splatter can cause serious burns to an adult or life-threatening injuries to children.