Two Homes Damaged By Deep-Fryer Fires

Two Wenatchee homes were damaged by flames after deep-fryer grease caught fire as they cooked Thanksgiving turkeys, firefighters reported.

Both fires were caused by cooking turkey with deep-fryers, a growing culinary trend especially popular around the holidays. The birds are placed in large pots of lard or cooking oil atop a propane burner.

Wenatchee Fire Marshal Stan Smoke said there were five children inside each of the homes, but all were able to get out safely.

The first fire started about 12:21 p.m. Thursday. Rich and Ellen Park had a deep-fryer on a covered porch at the back of their home.

Park was on the porch waiting for the fryer’s temperature to go from 300 to 350 degrees, his wife said. When smoke started pouring out from under the lid, he shut off the fuel and opened the lid. That’s when flames leapt out.

“He put the lid back on but the flames kept coming,” she said. “The fire was just rolling out of it.”

Less than an hour later, Frank Noble returned home from work to find flames pouring from his carport and garage. His wife, Trina, started the fryer in the carport, then went into the house to inject the uncooked bird with spices.

Smoke said people need to follow the instructions when they use deep fryers: The cooking devices should always be placed away from the house and should be watched at all times.