MEC&F Expert Engineers : HOW TO AVOID DEEP FRYER FIRES: Follow these guidelines and fry your bird safely.

Friday, February 27, 2015

HOW TO AVOID DEEP FRYER FIRES: Follow these guidelines and fry your bird safely.






Deep frying a turkey for the family Thanksgiving feast or any other occasion is very popular and has been for quite a while. But if you don't follow some common sense rules and procedures, things can go really bad, really fast. 

On Thanksgiving Day, there are more residential house fires than any other day of the year. Most of these fires occur between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. I posted a graph from FEMA in the photo gallery that illustrates this. 

This is what happens when a partially frozen turkey is lowered into a turkey fryer filled with too much oil. The oil was also 25 degrees too hot. The result is a huge flash oil fire as the hot oil overflows and is ignited by the propane flame.

The Springville Fire Department put on the demonstration for AL.com. Three cameras were used from different angles to document the fire.  Fire Chief Richard Harvey and firefighters Caleb Andrews, James Martin and Lt. Graham Darnell conducted the demonstration in an open area behind the fire station.

The turkey used weighed just under 12 pounds and was partially frozen with ice and slush in the interior cavity. Water and ice don't react well with hot oil. Remember the old rule: Don't put out a grease fire with water.

The oil was 25-30 degrees above the recommended temperature of 375 degrees and the pot overfilled for the size turkey being fried.

The firefighters were all in full turnout gear with gloves and helmets. One stood by with a CO2 fire extinguisher in hand and two more at the ready. 

The video and photo gallery tell the story. Once the turkey was lowered into the pot, oil began boiling over the top of the pot and cascading down the sides into the open propane flame. The flames spread immediately. Once the flaming oil pooled on the ground, flames jumped enough higher. The light south breeze carrying the flames with black smoke billowing over the fire station.

The fire burned furiously for nearly 15 seconds. It was 23 seconds before the fire subsided enough so that firefighter James Martin could get close enough to shut the gas off.

I was amazed at how fast the fire erupted and expanded. I was 30 feet away and felt the heat immediately. 

Here are some Do's and Don'ts when frying a turkey:

Do: Defrost the turkey completely making sure the giblets are removed along with any ice or slush.

Don't: Use too much peanut oil in the pot. Check out this link: How to fry a turkey safely. There is a video that will show how to correctly measure the oil needed for your bird.

Do: Wear long sleeves, long pants and heat proof gloves when lowering and removing the turkey from the pot.

Don't: Fry a turkey on a deck, in the garage, porch or under any overhanging  structure.

Do: Fry a turkey in an open area away from any combustible items.

Don't: Allow children or pets (or adults for that matter) to run or play near the cooking area.

Do: Lower and remove the turkey SLOWLY from the pot. The oil will be over 325 degrees or hotter at all times. Any splash will cause burns or a fire. 

Don't: Use water if a fire occurs. Chief Harvey recommends a CO2 fire extinguisher or call 911 and let the professionals put it out. 

Don't: Allow the oil to exceed the recommended temperature of 350-375 degrees. 

Follow these guidelines and fry your Thanksgiving turkey safely.