« Back to News Room Cook Your Turkey, Not Your House This Thanksgiving November 19, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Russ Dubisky, Executive Director 803-252-3455 or cell phone 803-708-5271 russd@scinsnews.com Prevent Thanksgiving Fires Use Caution with Thanksgiving Cooking Indoors and Turkey Fryers Outdoors Columbia, S.C. - Monday, November 19, 2007 - While many South Carolinians are preparing for Thanksgiving and entertaining family and friends, the South Carolina Insurance News Service is urging those doing the cooking, indoors and outdoors, to keep safety in mind. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires according to the National Fire Protection Association. More cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year nearly three times that of an average day. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that about 5,200 Thanksgiving Day fires require a fire department response, cause $21 million in property losses, and result in about 51 injuries and 11 fatalities. Of these fires, cooking is the cause in more than 2,200 incidents, or about 43 percent of all fires. Annually, cooking fires cause more than half a billion dollars in direct property damage to homes and the belongings inside. In addition to indoor cooking fires, fires related to the use of turkey fryers have been known to cause property damage, injuries and even deaths as house fire and splashing of hot oil occurs. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, from 1999 through 2006, there were 119 incidents involving fires or burns associated with turkey fryers in the United States. The majority of incidents involved overheating and subsequent ignition of oil while the consumer was not present. Overall, cooking fires are the leading cause of household fires and home fire injuries according to the National Fire Protection Association. Food left cooking unattended is the primary cause of these fires. Tests have shown that many turkey fryers have a risk of tipping over, overheating, or spilling hot oil, leading to fires and burns. The South Carolina Insurance News Service offers the following safety tips for cooking on this Thanksgiving holiday: Indoors: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the home for even a short period of time, turn off the stove or oven. you are simmering, baking, boiling or roasting food, check it regularly and remain in the home while food is cooking. Use a timer to remind you that the stove or oven is on. Stay alert. Don�ft cook if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy. Keep things that burn �Epot holders, oven mitts, paper or plastic - off your stovetop. Don�ft store things that can burn in an oven, microwave, or toaster oven. Clean food and grease off burners, stovetops and ovens. Wear clothing with sleeves that are short, close fitting, or tightly rolled up. Keep kids away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove. Use the stove's back burners whenever possible, and turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk that pots with hot contents will be knocked over. Never hold a small child while cooking. Outdoors (Turkey Frying): Always cook the turkeys outside, away from any structure, and on a flat, hard level surface, preferably on concrete. Never cook on a wooden porch or deck, as the wood can catch fire in the event of a spillage, and NEVER cook in a garage! Always wear long sleeves and long pants, and natural fiber clothing, i.e. wool, cotton, etc. Man-made fibers such as nylon or polyester can melt to your skin if they catch fire. Well-insulated gloves are recommended when placing the turkey into the fryer. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter. Keep all small children and pets away from the cooker and flame to avoid knocking the cooker over and causing burns. Make sure the turkey is fully thawed first. Frying a frozen or partially thawed turkey is not safe. Dry the turkey as best as possible prior to placing it in the oil. If it is wet, the water and hot grease will react and cause the grease to pop and spray or even an explosion could result. To measure how much oil is needed, first put the turkey in the fryer; next add water to just barely above the top of the turkey; remove the turkey and measure the new water level with a pencil or etching tool. This is the level to which you add the oil, the, when you add the turkey into the boiling oil it won't overflow. Peanut oil is recommended vs. vegetable oil. It won't breakdown at the high temperatures (325-350 degrees). Use a 12 inch turkey frying thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil. Rule of thumb is roughly 3 minutes per pound of turkey, plus an additional 5 minutes, or until the turkey floats, i.e. a 20 lb bird will take 40-50 minutes to cook. When slicing, if the turkey is not thoroughly cooked, microwave uncooked pieces. Don't eat raw or under-cooked turkey. Allow the oil to thoroughly cool before emptying. Hot oil can take 3-4 hours to cool back to room temperature. Excessive use of alcohol and hot boiling oil don't mix. Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. The National Fire Protection Association believes a new outdoor turkey cooking appliance that does not use oil should be considered as an alternative to deep-fryers which use oil. (Sources: Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and National Fire Protection Association) For more information on preventing home fires, contact the South Carolina Insurance News Service or link to their web site at www.scinsnews.com. For over 30 years, the South Carolina Insurance News Service, a nonprofit organization, has been providing free insurance information to consumers and the media about property and casualty insurance issues. The News Service is funded by insurance companies doing business in South Carolina. For more information, contact the South Carolina Insurance News Service at 803-252-3455 or use our contact form. Upstate man pleads guilty to insurance fraud July 30, 2010 Enjoy the ride on your golf cart or moped July 29, 2010 How to File a Claim After Storm Damage July 28, 2010 For News Service Members: Time to Register for the 2010 Annual Meeting and S.C. Legislative Conference July 23, 2010 Lyman woman pleads guilty to insurance fraud July 15, 2010 Myrtle Beach man pleads guilty to insurance fraud and arson July 15, 2010 Myrtle Beach woman pleads guilty to insurance fraud July 15, 2010 Don't let hurricane season blow your homeowners insurance off course June 30, 2010 Lexington man pleads guilty to insurance fraud June 30, 2010 PSAs on hurricane preparedness from the S.C. Insurance News Service provided June 28, 2010 » News Room » Click here for more information » Click here for more information