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Fried Turkey …Oh So Good, But Be Very Careful!

Deep fryer fires result in over $15 million in damages every year

North Little Rock, AR (November 18, 2012) – Officials with State Farm are encouraging everyone to use extreme caution if they plan on frying a turkey for this year's Thanksgiving Day meal.

State Farm says that approximately 1000 fires are reported annually that are due to deep fryer oil or grease fires. Spokesman Gary Stephenson of North Little Rock says, "We all know, if it's fried, it's going to taste great, but a lot of people are not well-practiced, and do not take the precautions that they need to when it comes to deep frying their turkey".

State Farm says, a few simple tips can make all the difference for a safe, accident-free experience in frying up that turkey

1. Do not deep fry on a deck or in a garage.
2. Make sure the turkey is properly thawed.
3. Do not overfill the fryer.
4. Pre-heat the oil, but turn off the heat source before lowering the turkey into the pre-heated oil then turn it back on after the turkey is submerged.
5. Have a grease/oil fire extinguisher on hand.

A few stats of note about deep frying

• More than twice as many cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.
• The NFPA says deep fryer fires result in over $15 million in property damage each year.
• Fire Departments respond to some 1000 fires involving deep fryers.
• The NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) does not recommend consumer use of deep fryers because of the high risk of accidents.

Safety tips

• Cook/fry outdoors away from structures or trees; not in garage, on patio, or on a wood deck.
• Do not overfill cooker. Splatter, overflow could ignite.
• Thaw the turkey before frying. Do not try to cook frozen turkey. Ice and hot oil do not mix!
• Shut off flame before lowering turkey into hot the fryer.
• Never leave a frying turkey or a fryer unattended.
• Do not use water to try to extinguish an oil fire. Have approved grease fire extinguisher on hand.
  
  

Contact

Gary Stephenson, State Farm Public Affairs, (501) 350-4440

About State Farm®

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