William Shatner's Turkey Fryer Fire a Cautionary Tale

William Shatner wants you to live long and prosper this Thanksgiving. The Star Trek star has teamed with State Farm insurance to spread the word about turkey fryer fire dangers.

Set your faces to "stunned." Shatner's story, shared on YouTube, describes a harrowing close encounter with a hot turkey fryer that singed his arm and almost burned down his house.

He delivers the message, of course, in his unique Shatner style.

"Blinded by my hunger ... I ignored safety ... Spat in the face of science," Shatner melodramatically laments in the three-minute video entitled "Eat, Fry, Love."

You can watch his cautionary tale here:

William Shatner and State Farm also released a companion video, explaining safe turkey frying tips. They recommend:

• Don't overfill your pot with oil.
• Turn off the flame when lowering your turkey into the oil.
• Fry outside, away from your house.
• Thaw your turkey before frying.
• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby -- one that's approved for grease fires.

Turkey fryers are linked to about 1,000 fires every year, mostly on Thanksgiving Day, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Turkey-related fires cause more than $15 million in damage, and often result in serious burns, the NFPA says.

Along with Shatner's turkey fryer fire videos, State Farm also released a list of states where the most turkey fire-related insurance claims have been filed since 2005. Those states are:

1. Texas
2. Illinois
3. Ohio
4. New York
5. Pennsylvania
6. Michigan
7. Florida
8. Minnesota
9. Indiana
10. Louisiana

Now go boldly and fry safely.

Related Resources

• William Shatner wants you to deep fry a Thanksgiving turkey safely (The Washington Post)
• Thanksgiving is peak day for home cooking fires (National Fire Protection Association)
• Deep Fried Turkey: How Not to Burn Your House Down (FindLaw's Common Law)