Don't fry this at home! Fire department shows how NOT to deep-fry a turkey this Thanksgiving

By James Gordon for Mail online

Published: 23:42 EST, 21 November 2014 | Updated: 00:09 EST, 22 November 2014

As you prepare your turkey in the coming week it may be wise to view a video showing how not to deep fry the Thanksgiving bird.

Fireifghters in Louisiana demonstrated how filling a turkey fryer with too much oil can lead to a frightening situation as flames quickly spread.

The would-be rescuers then sprayed water onto the burning pot of oil and the flames jumped so quickly and became so intense that at one stage the fireman had to take a step back.

Firefighters advise to never deep fry a turkey indoors or leave it unattended.

Firefighters from St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 demonstrated some of the dangers of deep frying a big bird

Everything looks calm but the oil in the fryer will be hot. Always use a thermometer so you know how hot the oil is. Over 350 degrees it can become combustible

Spraying water onto a pot of boiling oil, firefighters showed how fast a turkey in a pot sitting atop a propane burner can become an inferno

Dramatic though the pictures may be, the local fire department which is based near New Orleans has also issued some safety advice for anyone who who will be frying their turkey at home this year.

Some important things to remember. Important things to remember are that the pot should never be too full of oil otherwise it will likely overflow and spill when the turkey is lowered into it.

A partially frozen turkey will cause cooking oil to splatter when put in the pot.

They suggest cooking with a thermometer too because the temperature of the oil can reach dangerous levels and become combustible above 350 degrees.

Perhaps most importantly, as demonstrated by the pictures and video, if there is a fire you should never spray water on it because the fire will spread instantly.

As these flames prove you should make sure the frying is at least 10 feet from the nearest structure

If there's a fire, don't spray water on the pot and instead keep a fire extinguisher on hand

Never fry a turkey indoors as they combust almost instantaneously