Texas Starts A Lot Of Fires Frying Turkeys. Here’s How Not To.

I understand that most people have their minds on Christmas already. I mean all the holiday movies are playing, Walmart and other stores are already running Black Friday types of deals, etc.

Remember though, there IS a holiday prior to Christmas, and it can be a dangerous one.

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I'm talking about Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays thanks to all the incredible food we get to put down. But how exactly is Thanksgiving one of the most dangerous holidays?

Let's think about this for a minute. Thanksgiving is all about a plethora of food, and in order to indulge in it, it has to be cooked first. It's not just the turkey you're worried about. Think about all the different side dishes that need prepping and cooking.

You're using sharp knives to cut and chop with, you've got three things cooking at once on the stove, not to mention what may be cooking in the oven. We're talking about a lot of different scenarios where things could go severely wrong.

However, one of the top injuries during Thanksgiving doesn't come from all that commotion. No, it's coming from the turkey fryer.

As you can see, if you don't fully understand what you're doing with the turkey fryer, it can turn into something catastrophic. The huge flames definitely put on a show, but can ultimately burn you severely or take your entire house, and others around you, down for good.

I have a feeling Amarillo Fire is looking to avoid having to show up for turkey calls. So, to help them out a bit here are a few tips to remember if you're indeed frying that turkey this holiday season.

If you're using a fryer, be sure to keep it at least 25 feet away from any sort of building. That way, if the flames do erupt, they aren't right on top of something that can catch fire.

Do not overheat your oil. Just like you wouldn't want to get too much heat rolling on the smoker, this one is a bit different. On a smoker, your turkey will just cook quicker than you wanted. In a fryer, it'll send up a fireball that can be seen for a fair distance.

You'll need to completely thaw out your turkey then pat it dry to make sure there isn't water residue on it.

Last but not least, don't leave your fryer unattended. It can be a volatile thing these fryers, and you'll want to keep a close eye on what's happening with it. Pop open a chair, grab a few cold ones, and sit next to that turkey. Think of it as a way to avoid all the chaos going on inside.