The holidays are here! Every year it seems like Thanksgiving and Christmas get closer and closer to Halloween. The one thing that’s great about the holidays is the food. Just the thought of turkey and dressing and all the trimmings makes your mouth water. But before we eat all that food, we must prepare it. That’s what will get folks into trouble sometimes, and that’s why we want to talk about cooking it safely.
Deep-fried turkeys seem to be gaining in popularity each year. Deep fryers are on sale now at all the major big-box stores. Just down the aisle are the fire extinguishers. There’s a reason why they are so close together. Each year around the holidays, there are house fires caused by people using deep fryers incorrectly. Here are some safety tips to help you keep your house and environs safe.
- Put the fryer OUTSIDE! Never, ever cook with a deep fryer in your house, garage or carport.
- Place the fryer on a concrete pad or patio away from all structures. Do not put your fryer on a wooden deck or porch.
- Keep the fuel source (usually an LPG tank) as far away from the fryer as possible.
- Always follow manufacturer’s recommendations on proper use of the deep fryer.
Every year, someone doesn’t follow these simple safety rules, and their deep fryer tends to look like the one below with an overcooked bird and a ruined holiday season. Please don’t let this happen to you! As always, you can contact Rural Metro Fire or the Knox County Fire Bureau with other safety questions around the holidays.
Rural Metro Fire is a division of AMR, the nation’s largest provider of emergency services. Its 200 full-time and on-call firefighters operate from 17 stations serving Knox County since 1977. This article was submitted by Rural Metro.
Don’t set your fryer on fire — follow proper safety guidelines.