William Shatner's "Eat, Fry, Love" video spotlights turkey fryer fires

(CBS) William Shatner has a new role this Thanksgiving season - in "Eat, Fry, Love," a cautionary tale about turkey fryer fires. In response to the increasing popularity of turkey frying, Shatner has partnered with State Farm Insurance to remind people of its dangers.

In a dramatic retelling, Shatner recalls stories of the many Thanksgivings and Christmases he's burned himself, and nearly burned down his house.

"Blinded by my hunger, I ignored safety, and spat in the face of science," Shatner says in the video, before overfilling the fryer and accidentally setting the turkey - and parts of himself - on computer-generated fire.

"Fire, metal, oil, and turkey are glorious when in harmony," Shatner says, hamming it up. "But their power is unrelenting in careless hands."

The tongue-in-cheek video is accompanied by a more serious one, in which Shatner and firefighters from the Illinois Fire Service demonstrate common fryer fire mistakes, such as overfilling the pot, not properly thawing the turkey before frying, and not turning off the flame before lowering the turkey into the oil.

More than 1,000 fires each year involve a deep fryer, State Farm said in a written statement. The company's claims data show that top states for grease and cooking-related accidents on Thanksgiving Day include Texas, Illinois, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. In addition to damaging property, hot oil splatter can cause serious burns to an adult and life-threatening injuries to a child. Deep fryers account for about 30 home cooking injuries a year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Watch the video here.