Terrifying video shows why you should never deep-fry your frozen Thanksgiving turkey

When people in the US think of cooking turkey, they tend to associate it with holiday festivities like Thanksgiving.

And after the turkey has thawed out, there are many ways to prepare it, such as baking it in the oven or using a slow cooker.

However, if you decide to deep fry the turkey before thawing it out all the way, you may be in some fiery trouble, as evidenced in a terrifying video.

A video shared to the Voice of America’s YouTube page, which the Phoenix Fire Department reportedly filmed the day after Thanksgiving in 2019, showed two firefighters deciding to deep fry a frozen turkey in the outdoors.

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As the two placed the turkey in a vat filled with boiling oil, it completely erupted into massive flames within seconds.

The firefighters stepped back away from the flames as continued, and a cloud of black smoke could be seen rising.

The fire was put out not long after that, with the flames and smoke vanishing into thin air.

Firefighters Show Dangers of Deep-Frying Thanksgiving Turkeywww.youtube.com

People took to the video’s comment section to share their thought about the flames, with many wondering why the clip didn’t surface well before the holiday.

One person wrote: “Posted the day after Thanksgiving? Brilliant.”

“And you show this the day after Thanksgiving, when many cook a Turkey,” another added.

A third pointing out the amount of time it took for the turkey to burst into flames, wrote: “Done in 60 seconds.”

Someone else, who seemingly wanted to make light of the video, added: “Careful with that thing exploding.”

This isn’t the only time firefighters have shown just how dangerous.

The Gulfport Fire Department in Mississippi shared a demo on Facebook of the hazard that comes with cooking the frozen bird.

“We put in a frozen turkey, and it immediately thaws out. The water [from the turkey] makes the oil [in the fryer] flare up,” fire chief Billy Kelley said in the video.

And just as Kelley said, the turkey went ablaze after being placed in the fryer.

According to the outlet, The Scientific American, oil and water combined “at different densities” can make explosions happen.

The FDNY, said that the turkey fryer fires is responsible for 60 injuries, five deaths, and over $15m in property damage annually.

Elsewhere, if you decide to try fried turkey, the FDNY gave a few tips.

This includes ensuring that the turkey is completely thawed out, not overfilling the fryer with oil, and using mitts to protect your hands and safety goggles for your eyes as you cook.

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