Thanksgiving Turkey Disaster Burns Down $4 Million Mansion

Many families opt to fry their turkeys for Thanksgiving, which can produce a delicious albeit dangerous final product. One Connecticut family learned the hard way just how important it is to be safe in these situations. 

According to USA Today, a family in Weston, Connecticut is lucky to be alive after their $4 million mansion burned down after a fire broke out on the property. Authorities say a turkey fryer caught fire in their garage on Thanksgiving Day. Firefighters responded to the scene at 3:42 p.m. local time. 

Approximately 40 people were at the home for Thanksgiving when the fire broke out. At first crews had trouble fighting the blaze, as the fire that started in the garage was quickly spreading to the rest of the house. The crew also experienced some setbacks while trying to put it out. Miraculously, however, no injuries were reported. 

"Firefighters attempted an aggressive fire attack; however, their efforts were thwarted by dangerous fire conditions and structural collapse," the Weston Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement. "In addition, a vehicle drove over the water supply hose on Weston Road, damaging the line, which completely stopped the flow of water for several minutes."

It wasn't an easy job by any means; crews spent more than 16 hours trying to put the fire out. The house is a total loss and uninhabitable following the blaze. According to Zillow, the 11-bedroom, 9.5-bath house was worth just over $4 million and last sold for $2,350,000 in 1999. 

Related: How to Make Sure Your Deep-Fried Turkey Doesn't Explode

If you plan on frying a turkey, make sure you follow all safety protocols before, during, and after preparation. This means thawing your turkey completely before it goes near any oil, setting up your frier outside and away from your house, ensuring the container doesn't boil over throughout the process, and keeping a fire extinguisher nearby just in case. Plus, just keeping an eye on the bird to make sure your meal doesn't end up burned.