WASHINGTON — When deep frying a turkey, where you do it matters as much as how you do it, says Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein.

He says the appeal of a deep fried turkey is obvious, and that the result can be delicious, but there are plenty of hazards to be aware of when preparing a turkey in a deep fryer.

First, Goldstein says, place the deep fryer outside and away from your home, garage or carport.

Second, he says make sure you’re working on a flat surface, but not your deck or lawn. He explains the risk of fire is greater when you’ve got a heat source under oil that can overflow or spatter. So what’s under your fryer can be an issue.

“Any material that’s combustible — which includes grass or vegetation — will help spread that fire,” Goldstein says.

Ideally, you’d be working on a flat surface that’s paved “a driveway, blacktop, concrete or gravel,” says Goldstein, even a flat dirt surface could work.

No matter what, Goldstein says, never ever leave that turkey – or anything you’re cooking — unattended.

Cooking fires are among the most common causes of residential fires, especially during the holiday season.

Here’s the best way to use a turkey fryer.

https://youtu.be/Kspx1oOP_fE

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.