State Farm Ranks Top States for Thanksgiving Cooking Fire Claims

According to State Farm claims data, more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. In fact, grease and cooking-related claims more than double on Thanksgiving Day compared to an average day in November.

With the popularity of turkey frying, people are at risk for fryer related fires and injuries. U.S. fire departments are responding to more than 1,000 fires each year in which a deep fryer is involved. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says deep fryer fires result in more than $15 million in property damage each year and hot oil splatter can cause serious burns to an adult or life threatening injuries to a child.

More than one-third of fires involving a fryer start in a garage or patio.

According to State Farm, the top 10 states for grease and cooking-related claims on Thanksgiving Day for the past five years (2007-2011) are:

In 2011, State Farm teamed up with Shatner to produce a short video dramatizing an actual accident where the celebrity was burned in a turkey fryer mishap on Thanksgiving. The docudrama, ” Eat, Fry, Love: A Cautionary Tale,” warns people about the dangers of improper turkey frying.

As a result of the video and safety campaign last year, State Farm grease & cooking related fire claims occurring on Thanksgiving Day were carved in half and the daily average for the entire month reached a seven year low.

“I love to fry turkey and have been doing it for years but I am not immune to frying accidents,” says Shatner. “People need to remember that hot oil and turkey can be a dangerous combination.”

To get the safety message out in 2012, State Farm worked with John Boswell, aka melodysheep on YouTube, to auto-tune the Shatner turkey fryer video. Called “Eat, Fry, Love: A Cautionary Remix”, Boswell injected the perfect blend of creativity and repetition to create a Thanksgiving safety anthem sure to have families clamoring for a moister, tastier and turkey.

Source: State Farm