Members of a North Carolina family are lucky to have escaped with their lives after a turkey fryer burst into flames, blowing out windows and leaving their home badly burned.
According to authorities, a propane tank fueling the fryer exploded at the home at 840 Sellars Mill Road in Burlington on Wednesday.
Investigators say the person cooking the turkey fell asleep and left the bubbling oil neglected.
‘There’s more house fires due to unattended cooking, or cooking incidents, on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year,’ Burlington Police Chief Daniel Shoffner said.
None of the home’s occupants were seriously harmed. Photos of the aftermath showed their charred home, which had the siding ripped from the walls and black soot now covering the structure.
A North Carolina family was lucky to escape after a turkey fryer exploded in their home
The house was left badly burned and sustained an estimated $200,000 of damage
Firefighters arrived after 1am to find thick smoke pouring from the sides and rear of the home.
A dog was rescued and a family cat fled the fire, which was under control in around 30 minutes.
One of the bedroom doors was closed, leaving the room inside virtually undamaged, while the remainder of the house was badly burned.
The house suffered an estimated $200,000 of damage, with $150,000 to the structure and $50,000 to its contents.
Unattended cooking is one of the main causes of home fires, especially during the holiday season, Shoffner said.
‘We want people to stay safe this holiday season,’ he added.
‘You know, be cautious when you’re cooking, if you are using a turkey fryer with oil or anything else.’
The fryer exploded around 1am Wednesday. One of the bedroom doors was closed, leaving the room inside virtually undamaged, while the remainder of the house was badly burned
Two family pets, a dog and a cat, escaped the flames without injuries
Turkey deep fryers cause around 60 injuries, five deaths and an estimated $15 million in property damage each year
Burlington Police Chief Daniel Shoffner says unattended cooking is one of the main causes of home fires, especially during the holiday season
An average of 1,600 cooking fires happen on Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. Consumer and Product Safety Commission.
This is more than three times the daily average for all other times of year.
The National Fire Protection Association says turkey deep fryers cause around 60 injuries, five deaths and an estimated $15 million in property damage each year.
To avoid potentially deadly disasters, the turkey should not be fried indoors and the fryer itself should be kept at least 10 feet away from anything flammable.