Deep-frying a Thanksgiving turkey? Here’s how not to do it
The Clark County Fire Department and University Medical Center want to keep you safe this Thanksgiving if you’re thinking of deep-frying a turkey.
The Fire Department and UMC’s Lions Burn Care Center hosted a safety demonstration Monday to show how to avoid fires or injuries while deep-frying poultry.
Firefighters demonstrated the importance of safety tips like defrosting the turkey before cooking, keeping the oil at a proper temperature (350 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) and lowering the bird into the pot slowly to keep the oil from overflowing and starting a fire.
CCFD Capt. Clark Lamping also stressed the importance of keeping children and pets away from the turkey fryer. “We had a very, very tragic incident here several years ago where some children were running through the house, knocked the pot over and caused catastrophic damage to themselves and burned the house down.”
Dr. Syed Saquib, medical director of the burn care center, said it typically admits at least one patient every Thanksgiving with cooking burns serious enough to require hospitalization.
“We also have many more individuals that come after Thanksgiving to seek care for their burns,” Saquib said. “Many of those burns are third degree.”
Contact Paul Pearson at ppearson@reviewjournal.com.