Mississippi Insurance Commish Miguel Chaney issued the following advisory and video on turkey fryer fires.
On Monday, November 25, 2019, the State Fire
Marshal’s Office demonstrated the dangers of over-filling a turkey fryer
with grease and cooking a turkey that is not fully thawed.
Members of the Fire Marshal’s Office, State Fire
Academy and Jackson Metro area fire officials joined Fire Marshal Mike
Chaney for the demonstration.
During the demonstration, firefighters placed a
partially frozen turkey in a fryer filled with too much hot oil. Because
the water and oil don’t mix, the oil reacts violently, overflows, and
catches fire when it reaches the flame below
the fryer. The demonstration is an extreme example of how unsafe or
unattended cooking puts you at risk of a fire.
Unattended cooking has
caused three fire deaths so far this year statewide. That’s a downturn
from 10 deaths in 2018, that were cooking-fire related.
“Many cooks could become distracted during the excitement of the holiday,” said State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney.
“But if you stay alert, and stand by your pan while cooking, you could prevent a fire.”
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, according to the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Make your home safer by
installing multiple smoke alarms. If you need smoke alarms, ask your
local fire department.
Use these safety tips from the State Fire Marshal’s Office when preparing your Thanksgiving meal:
·
Be on alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stovetop or oven.
·
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food.
·
If you must leave the kitchen for even a short amount of time, turn off the stove.
·
If
you are simmering, baking, boiling or roasting food, check it
regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to
remind you that the stove
or oven is on.
·
Avoid
wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Loose
clothing can catch fire if it gets too close to a gas flame or electric
burner.
No kids allowed
·
Keep kids away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet around the stove.
·
If you have young children, use the stove's back burners whenever possible.
·
Turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk that pots will be knocked over.
·
Never hold a small child while cooking.
Keep it clean
·
Keep
anything that can catch fire—pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils,
paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels or curtains—away from your
stovetop.
·
Clean up food and grease from burners and the stovetop.
If you have a fire
·
Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
·
Call 911 or the local emergency number after you leave. Be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
·
Keep
a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding
the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered
until it is completely
cooled.
·
For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
·
Fryers should be used outdoors, a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials.
·
Some turkey fryers are designed for indoor use. If you use one of these, follow manufacturer directions carefully.
·
Never use a fryer in a garage or on a wooden deck.
·
Make sure fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
·
Never leave the fryer unattended. If you do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
·
Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use. The oil inside can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
·
To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
·
Use
well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid
handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil
splatter.
·
Make
sure the turkey is completely thawed and dried before cooking. Be
careful with marinades, because oil and water do not mix, and water
causes oil to spill over
causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
·
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture recommends you thaw a turkey 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds.
·
Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.
·
The
Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office recommends, when using a
propane fryer, using a hose at least 6 feet long to distance the propane
tank from the fryers
flame.
4 comments:
Haven't they been putting on this demonstration for years now? Who doesn't know how to fry a turkey at this point? Besides, everyone smokes turkeys now.
This is what happens when the current crop of mothers and grandmothers don't know how to cook.
Don't drink and cook. Drink and watch football. Let someone else do the cooking.
It's actually possible to poach or steam a turkey. And there's always the Jackson Junior League's fantastic recipe for 'Turkey While You Sleep', which yields a super-tender oven-cooked bird. (In their 'Come on In!' cookbook)
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