Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Nov. 26, 2024 – As Thanksgiving approaches, thousands of Americans will be deep frying their turkeys. Jonesboro Fire Chief Marty Hamrick breaks down how to safely fry your turkey this year and avoid fires.
Fires usually start when the oil used to fry the turkey is too hot, and/or when the bird hasn’t finished thawing. The oil should reach a temperature of around 350°F. How long to thaw a turkey varies by bird size; however, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends allowing 24 hours for every four to five pounds of meat if thawing in the refrigerator.
“You start getting over 400 degrees, it’s gonna start getting volatile,” Hamrick said. “If you’ve got too much oil in the container, when you drop the turkey in, it overflows and it could ignite.”
The amount of oil to deep fry a turkey will vary by weight. For turkeys around nine pounds, use three to four gallons of oil. For 12–14-pound birds, use four to give gallons, and for large turkeys up to 22 pounds, use five to six gallons.
If the turkey does catch fire, Hamrick said the worst thing to do is use water.
“Water on a grease fire will make it spread tremendously. It will react with the water and cause a violent eruption,” Hamrick said. “That’s similar to what happens when you put a frozen turkey in there, because that water is what causes the problem.”
Instead, Hamrick recommended putting a lid on the fire to smother it out. If you don’t have a lid, you can also use flour or a fire extinguisher. If you can’t put it out, call 911 and stay away from the fire.
Hamrick added that people should not deep fry their turkeys inside their homes, instead, they should cook the bird outside and away from anything flammable or any other structures.
“The best thing to do is just pay attention to what you’re doing. Don’t leave it unattended,” Hamrick said.