ECFR Conducting Turkey Frying Demonstration Thursday

Escambia County Fire Rescue will be conducting a "Deep Fry Turkey" fire safety demonstration on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. at Escambia County Fire Station 17, located at 6575 N "W" St. The demonstration will provide citizens and the media an example of the dangers involved with not taking proper safety precautions when deep frying a turkey. The goal is to educate the public and prevent a Thanksgiving tragedy.

ECFR reminds residents to stay safe when cooking this Thanksgiving, which is the peak day for home cooking fires across the United States. Frying foods increases the risk of a cooking fire, with dangers including cooking oil spills and overheating fryers. 

As you prepare your Thanksgiving meal, be sure to follow these safety tips from the U.S. Fire Administration.


Frying a turkey:

• Use a fryer with thermostat controls. This will ensure the oil does not become over heated.
• Thaw your turkey completely. Ice on the bird will cause the oil to splatter.
• Don’t overfill the pot with oil. If you do, the oil will overflow when you add the turkey causing a fire hazard.
• Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the fryer.
• Always use the fryer outdoors.

General cooking safety:

• Stand by your stove when you are frying, boiling or broiling. If you are in the kitchen, it is easier to catch spills or hazardous conditions before they become a fire.
• Keep the area around the stove clear of packaging, paper towels, and dish cloths – anything that can burn.
• Be sure to clean up any spills as they happen.
• Be prepared. Keep a large pan lid or baking sheet handy in case you need to smother a pan fire.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so you don’t bump them.

Statistics to Share (based on 2006-2010 annual averages):

• Unattended cooking was by far the leading factor in home cooking fires.
• Two-thirds of home cooking fires started when food or other cooking materials caught fire.
• Clothing was the item first ignited in less than one percent of these fires, but these incidents accounted for 16 percent of the cooking fire deaths.
• Ranges accounted for the largest share (58 percent) of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16 percent.
• Three of every five reported non-fatal home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves.
• Frying poses the greatest risk of fire.

Source: National Fire Protection Association


For more fire safety information and resources from the U.S. Fire Administration, click here.