A family Thanksgiving ended in disaster when a turkey fryer was left unattended, exploding and destroying a home in North Carolina.
Burlington Police said the blast unfolded last week when the family member who was cooking the turkey nodded off and left the boiling hot oil bubbling away.
Burlington Police Chief Daniel Shoffner told WAVY that the propane tank fuelling the piping hot fryer then exploded, blowing out the windows of the back of the house and causing fire damage to the walls and roof.
Firefighters arrived at the house just before 1am to find flames and heavy smoke engulfing the sides and rear of the property, the Burlington Fire Department told ABC11.
After half an hour of battling the flames, the blaze was fully extinguished.
The fryer which caused the explosion— (WAVY)
Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in the blast and the family’s pet dog was safely rescued from the home.
The family cat had managed to escape the fire by itself.
Authorities estimate the explosion has left around $150,000 worth of damage to the home and an additional $50,000 worth of damage to their personal items.
The explosion was so strong it blew out the windows— (WAVY)
Mr Shoffner said that having the propane tank attached to the boiling oil was a “dangerous” thing to do.
“That [explosions] can happen if that much fire heats it up to that degree,” he said.
Mr Shoffner said that cooking accidents are a lot more common around the holidays.
“There’s more house fires due to unattended cooking, or cooking incidents, on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year,” Mr Shoffner told WAVY.
“We want people to be safe, stay safe this holiday season,” he said. “You know, be cautious when you’re cooking. If you are using a turkey fryer with oil or anything else.”
The fire left serious damage to the house— (WAVY)
Turkey fryers, on average, cause 60 injuries, five deaths and around $15m in property damage each year in the US, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Officials remind families to always use turkey fryers outside and far from any property and trees and to never leave them unattended.
The turkey should always be defrosted before frying it, as frozen turkeys can cause flare-ups. The fryer should also always be stood on a level surface.
