HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — While some families enjoy the traditional roasted turkey, others like to experiment and deep-fry their turkey.
With the upcoming holiday season coming, fire departments across the Rio Grande Valley are providing safety tips to help families stay safe and keep their birds crisp, not burnt.
Lt. Virgil Garcia with the Harlingen Fire Department Training Division told ValleyCentral that from 2017 to 2019, there were 2300 building fires during the holidays.
Garcia advised those who are planning to deep fry a turkey to pre-measure with water before using oil and turn off the burner before submerging the turkey in case it overflows.
He stated if the burner is on and if the oil overflows it will cause a fire.
Additionally, he said to make sure the turkey is completely thawed out and when frying the turkey to be 10 feet away from a building.
A way to make sure your bird is completely thawed out is if the breast meat is soft and the legs and wings are fairly loose. Another way to know is to check if there are icy chunks in the inside of the turkey or if any parts of the bird are still solid.
The McAllen Fire Department released a stove fire safety video with do’s and don’ts not only for the holiday season, but for an emergency scenario.
In the video, it showed the following:
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Do use baking soda | Do not use flour |
| Do carefully cover the fire with a lid | Do not use water |
| Do use a fire extinguisher |
