AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The Amarillo Fire Department is urging everyone to use caution while they bake or fry their holiday turkey.
Thanksgiving meals require a lot of preparation and a lot of work. Though the cook may tire it is important to keep a close eye out, especially when frying.
"People need to remember when they do go out to fry a turkey, even if they try to fry a frozen turkey, there's a large amount of water involved," Amarillo Fire Department Capt.. Wes Hall said. "And when you you put the water down in the hot oil, it's going to react violently and it's going to push the water out of the pot and into the fire, which is going to cause a large grease fire."
Turkey should be thawed and dried before it is placed in the grease.
Experienced fryers have some advice for those wishing to try it for the first time this Thursday.
"For the first-time fryers, I recommend going to the store and buying an in-house fryer," Seasoned Turkey Fryer Neil Bates said. "They're a little safer. You put the turkey in, you push the button and it does everything for you. You don't have to worry about propane or live fire or anything else."
The bottom line: as long as cooks use some common sense, a Thanksgiving full of food, family and football will be enjoyed.
"Make sure that you have plenty of smoke alarms. Make sure they're working," Capt.. Hall said. "Make sure when you're cooking anything whether it's frying a turkey or baking a turkey, make sure that you're watching it and keeping an eye on it. Don't leave your cooking unattended. Unattended cooking is the number one cause of fires in America. So, we want you to watch the cooking and have a happy Thanksgiving."
