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A firefighter with the Miramar Fire Department wishes Marines a safe holiday following a demonstration of the improper use of a turkey fryer aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Nov 21. The Miramar Fire Department held the annual demonstration for Marines with Headquarters Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 11, to discuss holiday season safety issues and show them preventative measures.

Photo by Sgt. Melissa Wenger

Don’t try this at home: Miramar Fire Department sets turkey ablaze

25 Nov 2015 | Sgt. Melissa Wenger Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

While the holidays are thought of as a time to enjoy with family and friends, this season also brings with it a set of particular safety hazards not seen the rest of the year. That’s why the Miramar Fire Department demonstrated a common, yet preventable issue so Marines and their company don’t ruin the holiday cheer.

John Meyer, a firefighter with the Miramar Fire Department led the demonstration for Marines with Headquarters Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 11, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Nov. 25.

The firefighters quickly dropped an ice-cold turkey into an overfilled fryer full of the wrong type of oil at the wrong temperature. To give the spectators an idea of the injuries they could sustain by doing something like this, they positioned a mannequin dressed in typical Southern-Californian garb – a T-shirt and flip-flops – next to the fryer.

“So we’re doing everything wrong here,” said Meyer. “We want you guys to see how badly things can go wrong just so that you can try and avoid this over the holiday season.”

The result was a large fire ball and a lightly-seared mannequin, something that could be devastating to someone’s holiday.

“We do this for the Marines because they face so many dangers on a daily basis,” said Meyer. “The worst thing that we think could happen to them is that they face another danger on thanksgiving or during the holidays that could’ve been prevented.”

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar