- Stay at home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently. • Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop. • Turn pot handles inward over the stove – out of reach from hands, pets and accidental bumps of the hip. • Keep the floor clear and electrical cords out of the way so there is less chance of tripping. • Put a lid on stove top fires. Keep oven doors closed and turn off the heat, in case of fire. • Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
- Never leave your fryer unattended. • Keep the fryer outdoors – off decks, out of garages and away from trees. • Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and dry before frying as frozen or wet turkeys can cause hot oil splatters. • Turn off the burner before lowering the turkey into oil. Turn the burner back on when the turkey is completely submerged. • Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If a fire occurs, call 911 immediately. • Keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.