ISLE OF PALMS, South Carolina — Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for fire crews, and in the Lowcountry, deep fryers are a leading reason.
Many Lowcountry families are prepared to deep-fry their turkeys this year, but one of the most common blunders is throwing the turkey into hot oil when it is still partially frozen.
“Pat the turkey dry.” Make sure it’s thawed out and fully dry; otherwise, the ice can turn into liquid, then vapor, and expand, causing a flare-up,” warned Isle of Palms Fire Marshal Mike Miller.
South Carolina ranked eighth in the US for cooking fires. According to State Farm, they cost South Carolina households roughly $10 million every year.
According to fire officials, the majority of these accidents might have been avoided with proper procedures. One of their most important safety suggestions is to put up the fryer away from the home.
“You want to make sure your outdoors away from a structure, at least 10 feet,” Miller told me. “Measuring the oil is critical because if you overfill, the oil will spill and go to the flame beneath the pot, generating an even larger inferno.
Fire Marshal Mike Miller suggests a simple approach for measuring the appropriate amount of oil before cooking.
Place the turkey in the empty fryer pot and fill with water until it is fully submerged.
Remove the turkey and mark the water line with tape.
After dumping and drying the pot, fill it up with oil till the designated line.
Firefighters recommend never leaving a fryer unattended and keeping children and dogs away from the cooking area.
“Hopefully we have a slow day, and everyone has a good Thanksgiving,” says Miller.
