Historical November–December 2018 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Hello Neighbors! Frank the Fireman here with another article. Where does the time go?
It was not that long ago we were strolling down Skinker in warm weather and now it is fall.
Here comes Halloween.
With that in mind, let me be one of the first to wish you all Happy Holidays.
They are approaching quickly. What a fun time of year, but let’s not forget fire safety during the holidays, because house fires never take a holiday.
While working at the fire house on DeBaliviere Ave, I celebrated five or six Halloweens, Thanksgivings, and Christmases there over the years. Those times spark many memories for me – especially the dinners. You see, it was not unusual for Engine Company #30 to be invited to dinner by someone in the neighborhood.
But these invitations to dinner were a bit different in that they did not come through the mail. Our dinner invitations came over a loud speaker in the firehouse. “Food burning on a stove, XXXX Pershing, Pumper #30, Hook and Ladder #3, Car 805 respond.” We would pull up to the Pershing address and the family would be out on the front lawn. Mom would be crying, the kids were jumping up and down, and dad was trying to calm everyone down. You could hear the smoke detectors blaring out on the sidewalk as smoke lazily poured out the front door. Just another dinner invitation that needed our professional expertise.
However, some of these dinner time fires were more exciting than others. Turkey fryer fires come to mind, which brings me to the purpose of this article Turkey fryer fires can be spectacular, dangerous, and destructive. Since a picture is worth a thousand words and a video much more, check out turkey fryer fires on Youtube or another internet location.
This will surprise and shock you if you have never seen a turkey fryer fire before.
They are caused by placing a wet or even damp turkey into very hot oil.
As you will see on the videos, the fryers literally explode into fire.
They can severely burn you and spread fire everywhere.
Now Frank the Fireman is not against frying a turkey.
They are very tasty, but you must be careful. So keep these tips in mind. 1. Make sure your turkey fits into the pot.
A large turkey in a small pot will cause hot oil to spill out and catch on fire. (Remember the videos you watched?) 2. Never place a wet or damp turkey into the fryer. Make sure the turkey is dry inside and out. Water and oil do not mix and water in hot oil really, really does not mix. 3. Never fry your turkey on a wooden deck. Spilled, hot oil will flash into flames igniting your wood deck and spreading the fire. 4. Never fry your turkey inside the garage. Turkey fryer fires have been the cause of many garages catching fire and spreading to the house. 5. Perhaps a good idea would be to cook your turkey the way grandma did it, in the oven.
With a bit of caution and a little preplanning, you can successfully fry a turkey and avoid inviting Engine Company #30 to dinner the exciting way.
We actually like your invitation to come through the mail. So stay safe and Happy Holidays.
Original photograph caption
Firefighter photograph accompanying Frank the Fireman column; original gives no individual caption.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2018.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2018_11.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
