Frying a turkey on Thanksgiving? Pa.’s fire commissioner has some advice.
Every year, Thanksgiving cooking causes a spike in house fires around the country. Deep fryers are disproportionately the culprit.
The state is trying to make sure Pennsylvanians don’t start any house fires this Thanksgiving.
Holiday cooking — particularly attempts to deep fried turkeys — typically leads to a spike in blazes. The U.S. Fire Administration says on average, almost 2,400 homes catch across the country every Thanksgiving. That’s more than any other holiday, and many of the conflagrations are due to fryers.
Pennsylvania appears to be particularly prone to mishaps.
State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego says the commonwealth’s home chefs routinely have among the most turkey fryer accidents.
He says if you must deep fry your turkey, there are a few things you can do to make sure it doesn’t go awry.
- Read the fryer manual
- Fry outdoors and away from trees, walls, and fences
- Make sure the turkey is totally thawed, and don’t overfill the fryer with oil
And if all else fails, keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
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