NATIONAL -- Did you know the number of reported residential building fires is more than two times higher on Thanksgiving day than any other day out of the year? It's true!
Every year simple mistakes have devastating consequences for people who are simply trying to cook a delicious Thanksgiving meal for their families.
One of the biggest threats to your family's safety is improperly frying a turkey.
The U.S. Fire Administration, an entity of FEMA, has released the following tips for safely deep frying a turkey.
- Make sure your fryer is stable! Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot oil everywhere.
- Pay attention! Putting a turkey in an overfilled cooking pot will cause oil to spill out.
- Thaw! Even a partially frozen turkey can cause hot oil to splatter.
- Keep an eye on what you fry! Watch the temperature of your fryer and never leave it unattended. Turkey fryers can easily overheat and burst into flames.
- Wear short sleeves! Longer sleeves, or sleeves that are not rolled up, run the risk of accidentally catching on fire.
- Be careful! The lid and handles of your fryer can get dangerously hot, which can cause burns.
If you do accidentally start a fire, DO NOT try to use water to put it out. Water cannot put out grease fires. The USFA recommends turning off the heat and putting a lid or cookie sheet on the fryer to extinguish the flames.