Armed Forces News

After a housing unit at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, was destroyed by fire (no one was injured) caused by a turkey fryer, Air Force safety experts have emphasized the dangers of turkey fryers. A turkey fryer resembles a very large commercial coffee pot, which is filled with oil that is heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and above. People place turkeys in the oil to fry the birds. Patrick Vega, assistant base fire chief at Hill, said, “More often than not, people fill the fryers too full and they overflow when the bird is placed inside. As a result, the overflowing oil hits the heating flames below and catches the device and items surrounding it on fire” He said this melts the hose feeding propane to it, which then feeds raw propane directly into the fire. In addition, he warned, “They’re very easy to tip over.”