Madison Co. Fire Department warns of Thanksgiving cooking hazards

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — If you are deep frying a turkey on Thanksgiving Day, it can be dangerous — even causing a fire if you are not careful. But there are ways to prevent that from happening.

“It’s knowing the right way to put the turkey in,” Madison County Fire Department Chief Eric Turner said.

Turner says it’s not uncommon to get a call about a fire hazard in homes during this time of the year, but there are many safety precautions to take to keep your family safe.

“As far as deep frying a turkey, it’s better if you do it outside if possible, or a well ventilated area,” Turner said. “Make sure your turkey is thawed out thoroughly, and make sure your grease and oil are not overflowing.”

Chief Turner also says each year, families may be excited for Thanksgiving meals, especially children — which is why you want to do your best to keep kids out of the kitchen while cooking.

“Keeping kids out of the kitchen and around an open oven, in fact that actually happened with a kid coming in contact with a open oven and suffering severe burns on the arms,” Turner said.

Leaders with the fire department recommend that you keep things out of the kitchen that don’t belong and can cause a fire.

The fire department also hosted a demonstration Monday showing the dangerous effects of deep frying a frozen turkey. To see the full video, click here.