Baton Rouge, LA – As Thanksgiving approaches, Louisiana fire officials are warning residents about the dangers of deep-frying turkeys — a holiday staple that’s also one of the most common causes of home fires across the South.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than 2,300 home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day nationwide each year. Newsweek reports that deep-fryer accidents cause five deaths, 60 injuries, and roughly $15 million in property damage annually.
Experts say the danger comes when people lower frozen or wet turkeys into oil heated to 350 degrees. The trapped water instantly converts to steam, expanding about 1,700 times in volume, which can send hot oil spraying from the fryer and igniting when it hits nearby flames or combustibles.
The National Fire Protection Association urges consumers to skip oil fryers altogether and use air fryers, electric models, or store-bought fried turkeys instead. Those who do fry should do so outdoors on level concrete, keep children and pets away, and never leave a fryer unattended.
