Last week, the Nashville, Tenn., fire department released its annual video demonstrating how disastrous it can be if a turkey is deep fried incorrectly. They filled a deep fryer with too much oil, then lowered a completely frozen turkey into it. Within seconds, flames were spilling over the side of the fryer and shooting up into the air above it.
Fire departments in Chicago and Pennsylvania, as well as the National Fire Protection Association, also recently released similar videos, and the results are disastrous in all of them. If you must eat the bird fried, start thawing it days in advance, and be careful not to overfill the fryer. It’s also a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher nearby and do it outdoors away from trees and structures.