Don't turn a Butterball into a fireball

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Fire Department said there are more fires on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day of the year. A bulk of the fires is due to the growing popularity of frying Thanksgiving turkeys.

"Last year nationwide there were 1000 calls just on turkey frying alone, causing five deaths, 16 injuries and $15 million worth of damage," said firefighter Tim LaFuente of the Austin Fire Department.

Last year the state of Texas came in number one nationwide for fried turkey-related fires, with 33 in all. Austin contributed to 10 percent of those.

"So we came out today to show what happens -- the violent reaction that happens -- when you do things improperly," LaFuente said at a Monday demonstration.

He said to put the fryer outside of the house, preferably on a flat, stable concrete surface about 10 to15 feet away from any structure or grass. He also said not to fry on a wooden deck, and not to cook in an enclosed area like a garage or carport.

One major cause of fires is that people don't put the proper amount of oil in the fryer. AFD suggested to do a test run by filling the frying vat with water and put the bird inside to see beforehand just how much oil is needed when it is time fry the turkey.

• Be careful not to overheat the fryer
• Make sure the oil temperature doesn't reach more than about 390 to 400 degrees tops.
• Do not put a partially thawed or frozen bird in the hot oil.

LaFuente said water and oil don't mix. Even on Thanksgiving.

"Throwing a partially thawed bird in that oil, the frozen particles would basically become liquid water and vaporize, pushing that oil up and over the top," he said.

He urged people to keep an eye on the birdie. He said with all of the distractions there are today, with cell phones, computers and the like, it's easy to forget there is food cooking outside.

"The number one cause of fires nationwide? Any day of the year? Unattended cooking, and that includes Austin, Texas," LaFuente said.

He said to keep a fire extinguisher near by because spraying water on a fire can make the situation worse by spreading the flames and oil, and subsequently the fire as a whole.

"We want you to be cautious. That's why we did this demonstration today because still so many things must be right and if just one or two go wrong a catastrophe that happened today could happen to you."