Every Thanksgiving, firefighters across America brace for the same nightmare scenario.
It happens like clockwork, and this year won't be any different.
And one Florida official just demonstrated exactly why this popular Thanksgiving tradition causes three times more fires than any other day.
Florida Fire Marshal shows what happens when turkey frying goes wrong
Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia stood alongside the Tallahassee Fire Department Monday to warn families about the explosive dangers lurking in their holiday plans.
The demonstration wasn't subtle.
Two firefighters wearing full protective gear used a pole to carefully drop the turkey into a pot filled too high with boiling oil.
The fireball shot up instantly.
"Do not drop a fully solid frozen turkey into hot oil, or that will happen," Ingoglia stated.¹ "And obviously, if you keep that close to your home or your children, you are going to have to call on these guys, or worse, take a trip to the emergency room."
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The numbers tell a grim story that repeats itself every year.
Thanksgiving Day sees more home cooking fires than any other day of the year — more than three times the daily average.²
In 2023 alone, firefighters responded to an estimated 1,446 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving, a 388 percent increase over a typical day.³
The mistakes that turn holiday meals into disasters
Turkey fryers have become wildly popular across the South, promising crispy skin and juicy meat in a fraction of the time it takes to roast a bird.
But that convenience comes with serious risks most families don't understand until it's too late.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that turkey fryer accidents cause an average of 5 deaths, 60 injuries, and more than $15 million in property damage every single year.⁴
The biggest mistake? Dropping a frozen or partially thawed turkey into hot oil.
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Ice and water don't mix with 350-degree cooking oil — they explode.
"The bird must be completely thawed before putting it in the fryer," Ingoglia warned.⁵ "Hot oil combined with ice or water is a significant fire hazard."
Overfilling the pot ranks as the second most common error.
When that turkey goes in, the oil level rises fast. If there's no room for displacement, scalding oil spills over the sides and onto the burner below.
That's when flames shoot up and engulf the entire setup in seconds.
Most people also set up their fryers too close to their homes — on wooden decks, near garages, or right next to the house where kids are running around.
Ingoglia made it clear that setup location matters as much as anything else.
"Place the turkey fryer far away from your home and on a stable surface," he stated.⁶
The Spring Hill Republican also emphasized keeping children away from the cooking area and always having a Class K fire extinguisher nearby.
But here's the part that should concern every parent and grandparent: hot surfaces and curious kids make for a dangerous combination during the holiday chaos.
"This should be a no-brainer, but keep children far away while frying your turkey," Ingoglia added.¹⁰ "Hot surfaces such as a stove or a turkey fryer can cause serious injury. We don't want the kids to get burned by oil splashing when we put the turkey in or when we take the turkey out of the fryer."
Ingoglia concluded the demonstration by telling three dad jokes his communications team dared him to read for $100.
"What's the difference between a well-fried turkey and a badly-fried one?" he asked. "One's dinner and the other is a story at Thanksgiving that your mother-in-law will tell for the next 20 years."⁷
The joke got groans, but the message behind it is dead serious.
Why this warning matters more than ever
This isn't the first time officials have issued these warnings, and it won't be the last.
Every year, fire departments across America stage similar demonstrations showing the catastrophic results of turkey frying mistakes.
Every year, people watch the videos and nod along.
And every year, hundreds of families still end up calling 911 when their Thanksgiving dinner goes up in flames.
The problem isn't a lack of information — it's a combination of overconfidence and underestimating just how fast things can go wrong.
Three seconds. That's how long it takes for a partially frozen turkey to turn your backyard into an inferno.
Ingoglia gets this, which is why he's pushing the message now, three days before Thanksgiving, when families are finalizing their holiday plans.
"While we love our firefighters, the last people we want to see on Thanksgiving are these guys," Ingoglia said during the demonstration.⁸ "It is vital for families to take just a few steps to ensure Thanksgiving isn't ruined by a burnt turkey or a house fire."
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The National Fire Protection Association goes even further, strongly discouraging the use of turkey fryers altogether and recommending people buy fried turkeys from restaurants or grocery stores instead.⁹
But for families determined to fry their own birds, the rules are simple: thaw completely, set up far from structures, don't overfill, watch constantly, and keep everyone — especially kids — well clear of the operation.
Ingoglia's demonstration should be required viewing for anyone planning to fire up a turkey fryer this week.
Because that massive fireball the Tallahassee firefighters created on purpose? That's exactly what happens in backyards across America when families skip the safety steps and wing it.
The difference between a perfectly fried turkey and a trip to the emergency room comes down to following basic safety protocols that have been repeated for years.
This Thanksgiving, don't become the story your mother-in-law tells for the next two decades.
¹ Michelle Vecerina, "CFO and Fire Marshal Ingoglia warns of turkey fryer dangers ahead of Thanksgiving," Florida's Voice, November 24, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ "Thanksgiving Top Day of the Year for Home Cooking Fires in the U.S.," Carrier Management, November 13, 2025.
⁴ "America's Deep Fried Turkey Accidents," Morrow & Sheppard LLP, December 22, 2023.
⁵ Michelle Vecerina, "CFO and Fire Marshal Ingoglia warns of turkey fryer dangers ahead of Thanksgiving," Florida's Voice, November 24, 2025.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Liv Caputo, "Blazing turkey and dad jokes: Ingoglia hosts turkey safety demonstration," Florida Phoenix, November 24, 2025.
⁸ Michelle Vecerina, "CFO and Fire Marshal Ingoglia warns of turkey fryer dangers ahead of Thanksgiving," Florida's Voice, November 24, 2025.
⁹ "Fried turkey a Thanksgiving fire hazard, officials warn," The Hill, November 22, 2023.
¹⁰ A.G. Gancarski, "Burn notice: Blaise Ingoglia talks turkey safety, warns against fire hazards," Florida Politics, November 24, 2025.
