When he was a freshman at Wisconsin, Jake Ferguson said a few of his friends were trying to deep fry a turkey in his apartment.
All of a sudden, the smoke alarms were blaring and smoke was filling up the room. The fire department had to be called to put out the fire.
“All we did was dip it in some oil,” said Ferguson, recalling what his friends told the authorities. “From then on, I remembered that I should probably not be the one cooking and just leave it to the professionals.”
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson wears his custom made firefighter helmet during a Turkey Fryer Fire Safety demonstration at the Arlington Fire Department Training Facility Station 14 in Arlington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
On Tuesday morning, the third-year Dallas Cowboys tight end partnered with USAA and the Arlington Fire Department for a turkey frying demonstration to educate people about the risks of a cooking house fire.
Lieutenant Monty Stayner, left, firefighter Jeremy Contreras, second from left, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, second from right and firefighter Lonnie Ballenger throw a frozen turkey into hot frying oil for a Turkey Fryer Fire Safety demonstration at the Arlington Fire Department Training Facility Station 14 in Arlington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
“Just bring awareness on how to cook a safe Thanksgiving meal for the loved ones around you and ultimately just to be safe in that whole process,” Ferguson said when asked about participating in the demonstration.
Despite incident calls tending to slow down during this time of year, Arlington fire chief Bret Stidham said it is still important to spread awareness about cooking fires during the holiday season.
USAA Senior Vice President Rob Braggs, left, and Arlington Fire Chief Bret Stidham, right, take a photo with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson as he holds his custom made firefighter helmet during a Turkey Fryer Fire Safety demonstration at the Arlington Fire Department Training Facility Station 14 in Arlington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
“People leave the home, they leave their oven on, they leave their stove on, and that’s when problems can happen,” Stidham said. “In this case with frying turkeys, if people don’t know the correct procedure, which we have taught here today, then things can get out of hand and that’s when we get called.”
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson wears his custom-made firefighter helmet with a full firefighter uniform during a Turkey Fryer Fire Safety demonstration at the Arlington Fire Department Training Facility Station 14 in Arlington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, left, lines up in a three-point stance with Arlington firefighter Lonnie Ballenger, second from left, Lieutenant Monty Stayner, second from right, and firefighter Jeremy Contreras for a picture during a Turkey Fryer Fire Safety demonstration at the Arlington Fire Department Training Facility Station 14 in Arlington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson signs an autograph for Arlington Fire Chief Bret Stidham following a Turkey Fryer Fire Safety demonstration at the Arlington Fire Department Training Facility Station 14 in Arlington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 3:40 PM.
