FEBRUARY 27, 2015
RENO, NEVADA
A family of three were displaced following a fire that
started with a deep fryer, the Reno Fire Department said early Friday morning.
Firefighters responded to a call at about 4 a.m. of a fire
in a commercial building on Morrill Avenue and East Fourth Street, just west of
North Wells Avenue, Reno Battalion Chief Robert Leighton said.
No injuries were reported, but the fire left a couple and
their 2 month-old infant displaced.
"The Reno Firefighters Community Assistance Program
gave the family $500 donation to help them out in finding a place to
stay," Leighton said.
The building was being renovated into a living space. The
family were inside when the fire sparked from cooking with a deep fryer
outside, and they evacuated the building, Leighton said.
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AVOID DEEP FRYER FIRES: Follow these guidelines and fry your bird safely.
Deep frying a turkey for the family Thanksgiving feast or for 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.