Holiday mishaps
 

What kind of mishaps have you had happen at the holidays?
Christmas day a few years back we were gathered at my b i l's house. He and his son deep fried a turkey. It looked real good. They pulled that dude and we went inside for our Christmas dinner. He had the fireplace going real nice too. We all sat down at the table and had started passing around the food when someone began pounding on the front door and screaming "get out get out you are on fire! " B i l opened the door and the guy was serious. He said the roof is burning from one end to the other. We snatched up the children and grandma and exited quickly. He was right. The whole upper portion of the house was on fire over our heads at the dinner table and we had no clue. The fire place was snapping and popping behind us and all seemed normal. The smoke was going right out the roof ventilators. The fire department was only a few blocks away but they couldn't save it. The whole house burned down with vehicles in the garage. It turned out they had their turkey fryer right at the opening to the garage and when they pulled the turkey out they forgot to turn off the fryer gas. The oil continued to heat up until it began to spit out fireballs of oil that attached to the super dry paneling inside the garage and fire ran up the wall and into the attic then ran across the ceiling.
We were pretty glad the guy who banged on the door happened to be out in his front yard that day and noticed the smoke. He lived nearly a block away.
We didn't get one single bite of food that day but considering how it turned out we did alright. That was one Christmas day we will never forget.

PSA. Ya'll be real careful with those deep fryers and where you use them.

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

What a blessing that someone saw it and warned everyone!

It really sucks that the house was lost, but you can always build another one...

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

Yikes..that was a close call..I wouldnt have thought hot oil by itself would start a fire.. but I have seen the oil catch on fire in the cooker..

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

I've always wanted to deep fry a turkey but never have. Between the cost of the fryer and the peanut oil it's always kept me away. And I knew a guy at work that burned his patio down with one. No thanks. I'll take a pass on that one and just use my oven.

Although I have caught my oven of fire. I was making garlic bread and went to check it and it was on fire. I had to scramble to pull the flaming bread out. And I'm not talking a little fire. This thing was really going. The smoke detectors were going off as I dumped the flaming mess in the sink and put it out. At least I didn't catch my beard on fire like I did with my wife's birthday cake. I was carrying it with the candles lit and they caught my beard on fire.

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

One Easter I was smoking a Turkey on a Weber smokey mountain.all done go inside with the bird about 20 minutes later huge bloom of smoke out back. Seems the water pan dried out and the grease lit up. Wasnt a big deal threw a box of baking soda into the smoker. But it gets the heart pumping .

I never fry a Turkey any where near the house. I'm in the habit of turning off the burner when I put it in and when I take it out. Dont want the oil hitting any flame

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

My brother & sister in-law just moved into there beautiful 6500 square foot house. Top shelf gorgeous kitchen, sparkling hardwood floors. I was lending a hand taking the ginormous bird out of the oven. The chinsey disposable pan folded in half and spilled boiling hot turkey juice all over the kitchen floor. You had to know my brother in-law, he was like Felix Unger. (God rest his soul)
I felt pretty bad that day.

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

My new cat climbing the tree and pulling it over on Christmas morning can’t compare to your house burning down. Glad you were all OK. Traumatic for sure.

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

What a close call Boog.. glad you all made it out of the house . I have read of people getting scalled from the grease ,,but this the first I heard of losing ones home..

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

Yeah, the firemen explained it as the grease got so hot it began to flame and pop. Those fireballs popped out and onto the dry wood paneling inside the garage and off she went. It was insured and they ended up relocating. No more fried turkeys since then for them.

Re: Holiday mishaps
 

I've fried many a bird...they are extremely good..I've also done chickens the same way..
As said , the peanut oil is $$$, but it seems to last forever..that's what like about it,,it doesnt get that "old" taste..and I've got some that's a couple yrs old..
And I always do them away from anything thatll burn..
I usually switch back and forth from frying to smoking..mostly ,whichever way mom wants it done..