Firefighters fry turkeys for Thanksgiving

For firefighters, there’s no real holiday. They’re on call 365 days a year. But for Station 18 in Austin, its band of brothers brings everybody together to celebrate Thanksgiving — barring any big fires.

But this Thanksgiving, the guys got a surprise – with one flame they couldn’t fight.

You’ve probably heard some of the Thanksgiving horror stories of people burning down their houses from deep frying turkeys. Firefighters seem to have a handle on it.

“Since we have the gear, we’re precautious and we use it,” Austin Fire Captain Charlie Wolfe said.

Some years they fry up to 14 turkeys. This year they only fried two. But work won’t stop the firefighters at Station 18 in Austin from making the most of a holiday away from home.

“It warms a mother’s heart, makes me happy and secure knowing that many are wonderful. They’re such great friends,” Judy Johnson, one of the firefighters’ mothers, said.

Their families come to them.

If there’s a call, they wait and hope nobody steals their secret Turkey Day recipe. Some they’re pretty proud of.

“My secret recipe is the recipe on the onion mix thing. You know, it’s great. I recommend it to anybody. Any HEB has it,” Chris Moren, an Austin firefighter, said.

“None that I’m willing to give,” Wolfe said.

This Thanksgiving, recipes weren’t the only thing being kept secret. A surprise wedding between one of the firefighters and a paramedic took place inside Station 18. None of their coworkers knew it was coming.

Lt. Alan Kirtley and Melissa Hall finished their wedding day with a Thanksgiving feast.
Kirtley asked his chief after the wedding if this meant he was done for the day. The chief said no.
By Karina Kling at Austin News 8