Des Moines, IA – Iowa fire officials are reminding residents to stay alert this Thanksgiving, warning that deep-frying turkeys continues to cause fires, injuries, and significant property damage across the U.S. each year.
The U.S. Fire Administration reports Thanksgiving is the nation’s peak day for home cooking fires, with more than 2,300 incidents annually. Newsweek data shows deep-fryer accidents cause about five deaths, 60 injuries, and $15 million in property losses every year.
Officials explain that frozen or wet turkeys placed into oil heated to 350 degrees can trigger explosive reactions. The trapped water instantly vaporizes, expanding 1,700 times in volume, which forces hot oil over the fryer’s rim and onto flames or nearby surfaces — often igniting fires in seconds.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends safer cooking alternatives such as air fryers, infrared cookers, or pre-fried turkeys. For those who still plan to fry, officials urge setting up outdoors on flat concrete, ensuring turkeys are fully thawed and dried, and keeping a fire extinguisher close by in case of flare-ups.
