fried turkey

Tasty Q Barbecue in Southwest Los Angeles, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year for deep-fried turkeys.

It is a specialty at the Crenshaw Boulevard eatery, and on Wednesday workers were preparing dozens of turkeys for cooking in a vat of boiling oil.

Southern tradition
"Here you buy and we fry, or you can buy one of ours," said Tasty Q worker Donna Morrison. "Is it dangerous? Sure, if you don't know what you are doing. Anything can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

The Los Angeles Fire Department is so concerned about that potential for danger that it has issued a warning, urging people to "think twice" about deep-frying turkeys in their own home.

Under the heading "Your Turkey or Your Life," the Fire Department released an advisory and video on its website saying that the cookers used to prepare the popular Southern dish can be harmful.

"Deep-fat fryers are extremely dangerous because of the hot oil used to do the cooking," said Ron Myers, a Fire Department spokesman. "You can never recover from a hot oil burn. It melts the skin. A child or adult who is burned with hot oil will be disfigured for life -- or suffer a fatal injury."

Some fryers, he said, easily tip over, spilling the hot cooking oil, and other brands frequently overfill when the turkey is submerged in the oil. Any small amount of oil coming into contact with a burner can cause a fire. The sides, lid and pot handles get dangerously hot, and the fryers can overheat to the point of combustion, Myers said.

The Fire Department recommends that turkey fryers be used outdoors, on a solid, level surface a safe distance (at least 20 feet) from buildings and flammable materials. They should never be used in an enclosed space, on a wooden deck, under a patio or in a garage.

The turkey should always be completely thawed before cooking. In addition, the cooker should never be left unattended and a fire extinguisher should always be kept nearby. (Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.)

Underwriters Laboratories, the international company that tests products for public safety, offers its own words of concern:

"There is no turkey fryer that carries a UL mark on it," said John Drengenberg, the company's consumer affairs manager in North Brook, Ill. "The products have improved over the years, but they have not advanced to the point where we feel comfortable authorizing the use of our mark."

Ultimately, he said, the problem is that there are "gallons and gallons of boiling oil, and if it gets out of control it is difficult for the average consumer to control."

The National Fire Protection Assn., a nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to reducing fire hazards, discourages the use of outdoor, gas-fueled turkey fryers.

"They have a significant risk of burns and fire," said spokeswoman Lorraine Carli. "More cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year -- three times as many."

Despite his own warnings, Myers doesn't suggest that the deep-fried turkey be abandoned.

"I do it every year," he said. "The taste is fantastic. It's moist, not like eating a piece of bacon. No oil in it at all."

Myers compares deep-fry cooking to driving a race car at 170 mph: "If you are on the street it is very dangerous, but if you are on a racetrack and taking the proper precautions, it is perfectly safe."

For Leroy Ross, owner of Tasty Q, the Fire Department's advisory makes perfect sense -- in terms of safety and his own economics.

"I wouldn't advise just anybody to go and do it," said Ross, who has been in the barbecue business for more than a dozen years.fryers are very common around the Thanksgiving holiday, but improperly using them could turn a holiday celebration into a tragedy.

"It's very important to have them cleaned so they don't spark a fire," said Springfield Township Fire Chief Tim Karshner.

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According the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been more than 75 incidents since 1998 reported to the commission that involve fires, flames or burns associated with turkey fryers.

For those unfamiliar with this alternative to a day spent cooking a turkey in an oven, the fryer is basically a large pot of heated cooking oil into which the bird is immersed. Those who like using the fryers favor the shorter cooking time often associated with them, as well as the different taste it provides.
The majority of reported fire incidents occurred when the oil was being heated, prior to adding the turkey. For this reason, it is very important consumers monitor the temperature of the oil closely.

Most fires happen because of improper preparation, said Karshner.

If any smoke is noticed coming from a heating pot of oil, the burner should be turned off immediately because the oil is overheated.

One other fear the Home Safety Council voices is the ease at which turkey fryers can be tipped over, spilling gallons of boiling oil.

And if the pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out when the turkey is added, causing the oil to ignite and a fire to engulf the unit.

Units lacking thermostat controls also can overheat the oil to the point of combustion.

To avoid a disaster of any type, CPSC has some guidelines to follow:

Make sure there is at least 2 feet of space between the liquid propane tank that helps light the fryer burner and the burner itself.

Completely thaw and dry the turkey before cooking. Partially frozen turkeys can produce excessive hot oil splatter when added to the oil.

If oil begins to smoke, immediately turn off the gas supply.
Should something happen that results in a burn, the Home Safety Council has tips on how to treat one.

A minor burn injury should be immediately treated with cool running water for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not apply ice, which can harm the skin. Do not apply butter or lotions, because they can keep the skin temperature hot, increasing the injury. Apply a sterile bandage to the injured area.

If the burn is serious, seek medical attention immediately.

Do you like your turkey deep-fried? It's becoming a popular Thanksgiving tradition, but it can also be a real fire hazard. NBC2's Jessica Stilwell found out what can happen if you're not careful.

It's been a longtime favorite in the south. And now deep fried Thanksgiving turkeys are gaining popularity everywhere. But with that popularity, there are growing concerns we may be sacrificing safety for good taste.

"You've got an open flame under oil. It boils over, now you're putting oil and flame together end up with a big fire," said Captain A.J. Smith of the Fort Myers Fire Department.

That's why it's so important to keep the turkey frying outside and away from your house.

We all know oil and water don't mix. If the turkey isn't completely thawed and there is any ice inside, the oil will boil over when you drop the turkey in.

It will also bubble over if you put to much oil in the pot. With the pot itself being 400 degrees and the oil even hotter - if the pot were to tip, it could be disastrous.

We put a fryer on grass, just to show you how quickly that can also catch fire - in our extremely dry conditions if the oil were to spill over and hit the flames.

"It's not like dropping a match in a grass smolder fire, oil acts as an accelerant and spreads quickly," said Smith.

If that happens, the most important thing to remember - don't reach for the hose. The flames will only intensify. Instead, turn off the propane and use an all purpose fire extinguisher.

And remember, the oil stays extremely hot long after you take the turkey out for your Thanksgiving Day feast.