WFLZ Turkey-Frying Stunt Goes Wrong
December 18, 2009: A stunt at Clear Channel Top 40 WFLZ/Tampa went badly awry Friday morning when the station van caught fire. The Tampa Tribune reports that a 26-year veteran firefighter injured his back in the incident, and that an unnamed station staffer was also hurt.
The plan was to lower a turkey, via crane, into a deep-fat fryer inside the van, but the vehicle reportedly caught fire quickly and was soon engulfed in flames.
Tampa Fire Rescue's Capt. Bill Wade told the paper, "They wanted a fire. They had no permits, no proper safety crews. When the fire got going, they called the fire department." Investigators are reporting to the state attorney's office, which will determine whether any charges will be filed.
Public Service Demonstration
The station on its website called the stunt a "public service demonstration." PD Tommy Chuck said in a statement, "Like we've done several times in the past, our intent was to show how dangerous it is to cook a turkey in this type of situation. We were prepared to extinguish a modest fire. Once the fire got out of control, we quickly called the fire department."
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