Log in

Fire officials: This may not be the year to fry a turkey

Expected rainy weather creates unsafe deep-frying conditions

Posted 11/25/19

Turkeys are for sale, Christmas tree lots are popping up around the Valley and emergency medical technicians are hoping Phoenicians practice safe habits this holiday season, Phoenix Fire Department …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Fire officials: This may not be the year to fry a turkey

Expected rainy weather creates unsafe deep-frying conditions

Posted

Turkeys are for sale, Christmas tree lots are popping up around the Valley and emergency medical technicians are hoping Phoenicians practice safe habits this holiday season, Phoenix Fire Department officials say.

Expected rain could spell disaster if you are planning on frying that turkey.

Fire officials highly recommend Phoenicians do not fry their turkeys this year, because “water and oil don’t mix,” said Brian Scholl, a Phoenix Fire Department inspector.

On Monday morning, Phoenix Fire Department held a media event to demonstrate the dangers of frying a turkey improperly and burn injuries related to cooking during the holiday season.

Scholl who was on site Monday said, “we tried to show everything wrong. For instance, what could happen if you use a frozen turkey, too much oil, etc.”

Kevin Foster, the director of the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health Medical Center said the No. 1 thing to have awareness of: Are children in the kitchen running around?

“Children can easily reach up onto the stove, where hot food is cooking or accidentally pull sharp objects off the counter,” Foster said.

The National Fire Protection Association identifies Thanksgiving as the peak day for home cooking fires.

Overall the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health Medical Center does not experience an increase in burn incidents from year to year other than a gentle increase based on population growth, Foster said.

“Unfortunately, we see a significant increase in patients between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Foster said.

Christmas also carries its fair share of injuries including falling from ladders, cooking-related injuries and Christmas tree fires.

“We have already had one injury with someone falling off their ladder, while attempting to hang Christmas decorations,” Scholl said.

However, a more common injury related to winter holidays are Christmas tree fires. The Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health Medical Center reports that 39% of Christmas tree fires started in the living room.

Scholl said it is best to get your Christmas tree as close to Christmas as possible, so they do not dry out.

In order to avoid these holiday fires, the National Fire Protection Association suggests:

  • Buying a Christmas tree as close to the holiday as possible.
  • When selecting your tree, make sure to select one with green needles that do not fall off when touched. (This is a sign of a dry tree --- which is more flammable.)
  • Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source.
  • Be sure to water daily.
  • Never use lit candles to decorate a tree.
  • Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

Editor’s Note: Mary Louise Long is a student reporter at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.