YAPHANK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Suffolk County officials held a cooking demonstration Tuesday in an effort to warn people about the dangers of frying turkeys at Thanksgiving.

Robert Sutton, president of the Suffolk County Fire Safety Educators Association, told WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall that cooks should always follow the directions that come with turkey fryers and to use them in safe, open areas.

It’s also important that turkeys be completely thawed, he said. “An unthawed turkey or a water-based turkey will mix with the oil and cause the oil to boil rapidly and spill over,” Sutton said.

“So the risk of fire and potential thermal injury is severe.” And “do not overfill the pot with oil,” said Joe Williams, Suffolk’s commissioner of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services.

Sutton said if the fryers are not used properly, hot oil could splash into the air, causing people to get severely burned.“A thermal burn is a very serious burn,” he said.

“It’s the type of burn that definitely has to be treated at a burn center because of the severity of it, and it can leave scarring,” Sutton said.

New York state ranks third in the country for the number of injuries caused by turkey fryers.

The Officers and members of the Cutchogue Fire Department join together with fire officials throughout Suffolk County to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving holiday.