Many Central New Yorkers are getting ready to serve a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, which also happens to be the peak day for cooking fires. Here are some tips on how to avoid a visit from your local fire department.
The National Fire Protection Association says there are three times more cooking fires on Thanksgiving than the daily average. And unattended cooking is by far the leading factor. Jon Barrett is an assistant chief with the Cicero Fire Department, and also represents the Firemen's Association of the State of New York training education committee.
“Everybody's doing a million things," Barrett said. "We throw that turkey in the oven or that deep fryer outside in the garage, and the kids call or family call, and you walk away. You have a failure of one of the components of either the oven or the turkey fryer, and it turns into a bigger issue.”
He says more people are choosing to deep fry a turkey in a vat of hot oil rather than roast it in the oven. But Barrett says not everyone takes the proper precautions. He’s seen a few examples.
“In the past we've had individuals try to do it in the hallway of their residence," Barrett recalled. "And years ago, he put a frozen turkey into the to the cooker and it caught the house on fire and the house was a total loss.”
A quick internet search turns up numerous videos of turkey frying gone wrong. A demonstration from the Idaho Falls Fire Department in Idaho is a perfect example of why water from the turkey and oil don’t mix. Training Chief John Perry explains why.
"Frozen means there's moisture in there, ice crystals," Perry said in the video. "If I put this turkey in this fryer, frozen, it's going to splash out, that oil is going to hit that flame and cause a pretty massive fire."
Jon Barrett at the Cicero Fire department says it’s best to plan ahead, use the proper equipment, and be safe.
“Don't wait till 8:00 on Thanksgiving morning to say, 'oh, I should have done this or I don't understand how to cook this or to deep fry this turkey.'”
Barrett says to keep the stovetop and the area around it free of flammable materials, clean the oven before using it, and keep an eye on small children.
