| At 4:31 pm on Thanksgiving Day, Willingboro firefighters were dispatched to 4 Eldridge Lane for a fire that involved a turkey fryer. Engine 1613 arrived in 4 minutes and found smoke coming from the rear of the home. Captain Ramsey sent his crew to investigate the nature of the smoke.
Upon entering the backyard the crew found that cooking oil in an unattended turkey fryer had caught fire. The homeowner was able to extinguish most of the fire with a dry powder fire extinguisher, but the oil in the turkey fryer was still burning. Firefighter Carcasio used a special fire extinguisher that is designed to extinguish fires in cooking oils.
Radiant heat from the burning oil caused damage to the home's vinyl siding and materials on the rear deck. Firefighters removed part of the damaged vinyl siding and checked the area with a thermal imaging camera to ensure there was no hidden fire. The damage caused by the fire was limited to the exterior of the home.
The fire was caused due to the homeowner leaving the lid on the fryer while the oil was heating, and then leaving the fryer unattended. The lid allowed the oil to overheat and catch fire. This fire should serve as a reminder that cooking units such as fryers and propane grills should never be used close to a home or other combustible materials. It also reminds us that cooking appliances that are used indoors or outdoors should never be left unattended while in use. |
