ORLANDO, Fla. — Thanksgiving is upon us. And some people may be planning to add a deep fried turkey to their holiday meal.
But, as officials warn, it could be a dangerous endeavor, especially if not done properly.
Firefighters hosted a turkey frying demonstration Tuesday at the Orange County Fire Rescue training facility.
The showed both the safe and unsafe ways of deep frying a turkey.
The unsafe method included putting a frozen turkey into a pot of hot oil, which created a larger flash fire.
If you are going to use a deep fryer to cook your turkey, officials offer these tips:
- Make sure you fry the turkey outdoors
- Keep the fryer is a safe distance (at least 10 feet) from any structure or trees
- Make sure your fryer is on a flat surface
- Don't fill the oil all the way to the top of the fryer; leave room for when the turkey is put in
And if a grease fire breaks out, make sure you don't use water to put it out. Instead, officials suggest using sand, dirt or a fire extinguisher.
"Watch the area, and if you need assistance, call 911," Assistant Fire Marshal Inez Pressler said.