Houston, TX – Texas fire officials are reminding residents that deep-frying turkeys — while popular across the South — remains one of the most hazardous ways to prepare a Thanksgiving meal, often leading to fires, injuries, and home destruction.
The U.S. Fire Administration reports Thanksgiving is the top day for home cooking fires nationwide, with more than 2,300 incidents reported annually. Newsweek data shows that deep-fryer accidents cause five deaths, 60 injuries, and roughly $15 million in property losses each year.
The hazard occurs when a frozen or wet turkey is lowered into oil heated to 350 degrees. The water instantly converts to steam, expanding 1,700 times in volume, and launches hot oil from the fryer. When the oil meets a flame or hot surface, ignition happens in seconds.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends using air fryers, infrared cookers, or pre-fried turkeys as safer alternatives. For those determined to deep-fry, officials urge doing so outdoors on flat concrete, keeping the fryer away from walls and decks, ensuring the bird is fully thawed and dried, and never leaving the fryer unattended.
