Overview
- NFPA figures highlight Thanksgiving’s elevated danger, with home cooking fires tripling and turkey fryers tied to about 60 injuries, 5 deaths and more than $15 million in damage each year.
- Waco fire officials staged a live demonstration and urged cooks to set fryers at least 25 feet from buildings with no combustibles nearby.
- The scientific risk comes from water rapidly flashing to steam inside the bird, expanding roughly 1,700-fold and blasting boiling oil out of the pot where it can ignite.
- Authorities say the turkey must be fully thawed and thoroughly dried before lowering into oil, and they advise slow handling to avoid spills and flare-ups.
- Practical guidance includes maintaining about 350°F oil temperature, cooking roughly 3.5 minutes per pound, wearing protective gear, keeping a grease-rated extinguisher ready and never using water on an oil fire.