Thanksgiving
has three times as many cooking fires than an average day, but even a
turkey fryer can be safe with proper precautions, a physician says. Dr.
Thomas Esposito of the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of
Medicine said injuries from turkey fryers are rare, but when they occur
they can be devastating. Serafino Alfe was deep-frying turkeys for an
annual fundraiser dinner recently and ended up at the Loyola Burn unit
with third-degree burns after tripping on a piece of cardboard under the
fryer. “Thirty quarts of hot oil poured over my leg and I basically
fried myself,” Alfe said. “We were using the older fryers that do not
have a secure lid and the gallons of hot oil just splattered out
everywhere.” Alfe said he will undergo surgery on his injured leg today.
To prevent a turkey fryer fire, Esposito advises:
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Never use a fryer if impaired with alcohol or drugs.
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Use newer fryers with sealed lids to prevent oil spills.
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Keep children and pets away from the cooking area.
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Place the fryer in an open area away from all walls, fences or
other structures and never under a garage, breezeway, carport, porch,
deck or other structure that can catch fire.
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Slowly raise and lower the turkey to reduce hot-oil splatter and to avoid burns.
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Never cook in short sleeves, shorts or bare feet. Wear goggles or glasses.
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Turn off the fryer if the oil begins to smoke.
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Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with
marinades. Water can cause oil to spill over, creating a fire or
explosion.
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Don’t overfill fryer with oil.
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Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
- Do not use a water hose to douse a turkey fryer fire.
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