Turkey fryer fire destroys garage, causes $20K in damages

Thanksgiving - By the Numbers

Fire officials in Wisconsin said a turkey fryer left unattended led to a structure fire and costly damages.

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The fire occurred Wednesday afternoon in a home's garage, WISN reported.

The Racine Fire Department said the fryer, which was left unattended for an unspecified amount of time, caught fire inside the garage and caused the structure to go up in flames. The garage was destroyed, and the fire caused approximately $20,000 in damages, WISN reported.

The Racine Fire Department posted Wednesday on its Facebook page, "Please be safe when cooking holiday meals," and linked to a YouTube video from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which shows just how quickly a turkey fryer can catch on fire. The CPSC urges consumers to not operate a turkey fryer in a garage or porch, and don't overfill the fryer.