Fire Department Offers Safety Tips for Deep Frying Turkeys

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Deep frying a turkey has become increasingly popular for holiday meals, but cooking with deep-fat turkey fryers can be very dangerous.

The Coliseum Medical Center along with the Macon Bibb County Fire Department are teaming up to to share how to safely fry a turkey and avoid a trip to the emergency room. Fryers have a high risk of tipping over, overheating, or spilling hot oil, which can lead to fires, burns, or other injuries.

Captain Michael Johstono says you should never try frying a frozen turkey. He also says you should make sure you fill the oil up to the marked line on the fryer and don’t let it get too hot. He also warns you need to be careful where you fry your bird.

“The best place to fry a turkey is, of course, outside. You want to make sure you’re away from your home,” he said. “A lot people would fry them on top of a wooden deck, that’s not a good thing to do. I would go out to a carport and put some good cardboard underneath it and cook it right there.”

He says you need to make sure your turkey is completely thawed before putting it in the fryer. Keep an eye on the oil level because too much oil could overflow the pot and catch on fire with the gas flame.