Deep-frying the Thanksgiving turkey can be delicious, but also somewhat dangerous if not done properly.Unattended cooking contributes to a majority of house fires around the holidays, and the Annapolis Fire Department in Maryland wants to make sure you put safety first. So, in their annual demonstration to reinforce safety, firefighters showed how fast deep-frying a turkey can burst into flames if improperly handled.One way to prevent these fires is to ensure your turkey is totally thawed before dropping it in the oil.The other is to make sure you don't overfill your pot with oil."Make sure that the oil is at the right level. So, before you do that, a good thing to do is to do a water displacement. So, fill your pot up with water, put your turkey in the water to ensure the water is going to be at the right level. (Then, dry the pot and fill it with oil to the same level as the water), so the oil won't overflow," Annapolis Fire Department Lt. Kenneth White told sister station WBAL.The location of the fryer also matters."Don't do it on a deck or some sort of wood landing; make sure you have it on concrete and away from the house and other areas where fires can spread quickly," Anne Arundel County Fire Department Capt. Jenny Macallair said.| MORE: Turkey fryer fire safety tips (PDF: FEMA)According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires -- more than three times the daily average. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve fires ranked second and third.The NFPA says on annual average, between 2019 and 2023, cooking accounted for the majority of U.S. home fires on Thanksgiving Day (80%) and 40% of civilian injuries. No civilian deaths were reported.Overall, cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and injuries and the second-leading cause of home fire deaths. Unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in home cooking fires and fire deaths.Be sure to always have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and test them to ensure they're functioning properly.

Deep-frying the Thanksgiving turkey can be delicious, but also somewhat dangerous if not done properly.

Unattended cooking contributes to a majority of house fires around the holidays, and the Annapolis Fire Department in Maryland wants to make sure you put safety first. So, in their annual demonstration to reinforce safety, firefighters showed how fast deep-frying a turkey can burst into flames if improperly handled.

One way to prevent these fires is to ensure your turkey is totally thawed before dropping it in the oil.

The other is to make sure you don't overfill your pot with oil.

"Make sure that the oil is at the right level. So, before you do that, a good thing to do is to do a water displacement. So, fill your pot up with water, put your turkey in the water to ensure the water is going to be at the right level. (Then, dry the pot and fill it with oil to the same level as the water), so the oil won't overflow," Annapolis Fire Department Lt. Kenneth White told sister station WBAL.

The location of the fryer also matters.

"Don't do it on a deck or some sort of wood landing; make sure you have it on concrete and away from the house and other areas where fires can spread quickly," Anne Arundel County Fire Department Capt. Jenny Macallair said.

| MORE: Turkey fryer fire safety tips (PDF: FEMA)

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires -- more than three times the daily average. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve fires ranked second and third.

The NFPA says on annual average, between 2019 and 2023, cooking accounted for the majority of U.S. home fires on Thanksgiving Day (80%) and 40% of civilian injuries. No civilian deaths were reported.

Overall, cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and injuries and the second-leading cause of home fire deaths. Unattended cooking is the leading contributing factor in home cooking fires and fire deaths.

Be sure to always have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and test them to ensure they're functioning properly.