Thanksgiving cooking safety: Don't try this at home

(WBFF) -- According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the threat of kitchen fires triples on Thanksgiving Day.

“Cooking fires in residential buildings occurred more often on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year,” The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) notes. “Cooking was, by far, the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings at 72 percent. By comparison, cooking was the cause of 48 percent of residential building fires that occurred on all days of the year other than Thanksgiving.”

In a dramatic presentation, the CPSC on Tuesday demonstrated just how quickly a turkey fryer fire can burn out of control.

Officials warn that frying food is the greatest risk of cooking fires, advising cooks to consider the risks before using a turkey fryer.

USFA listed the five dangers of deep-frying a turkey:

1. Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling hot cooking oil over a large area.
2. An overfilled cooking pot will cause cooking oil to spill when the turkey is put in, and a partially frozen turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when put in the pot.
3. Even a small amount of cooking oil spilling on a hot burner can cause a large fire.
4. Without thermostat controls, deep fryers can overheat oil to the point of starting a fire.
5. The sides of the cooking pot, lid and pot handles can get dangerously hot.