Frozen turkeys and hot oil don't mix

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US safety officials warn Americans this Thanksgiving holiday not to put a frozen turkey directly into a deep fryer at risk of lighting the house on fire.

(REUTERS) - The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned Americans not to put a frozen turkey directly into a deep fryer at risk of lighting the house on fire this Thanksgiving holiday - doing so results in an explosion of oil and flames.

"We estimate an average of about 1,400 cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day each year. This is more than three times the average number of cooking fires each day throughout the rest of the year," the Commission said in a statement.

"Although a fried turkey is very tasty, it's not the safest thing to do. Since 2004, CPSC is aware of 107 fire or burn incidents involving turkey fryers that have caused 47 injuries and $5.2 million in property loss."

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