Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Festival Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff member urges ban on frying under covered tents after fryer fire
Summary
A staff member told the festival committee that frozen potatoes ignited when dropped into fryers beneath a covered tent, causing repeated flare-ups and minor burns to a cook; the committee agreed to review permit language to prohibit frying under tents.
A staff member said organizers shut down a vendor after frozen potatoes in a fryer beneath a covered tent repeatedly ignited, causing oil to drip and reignite and producing surface burns for one cook. "They had frozen, like, frozen potatoes underneath the tent. The oil went up, oil dripped down, and then just kept reigniting," the staff member said, and added that the vendor was shut down "for all these safety concerns."
The staff member recommended the committee review its rules to forbid frying under tents, saying, "you may wanna look at the language in your rules about thou shall not fry underneath the covered tent." The comment followed the account that organizers observed the vendor's operations in a private drive and intervened after the burning resumed. The staff member asked to see photos of the incident to help determine whether the tent or the vendor setup was at fault.
The discussion placed the immediate safety response and future rule changes at the center of committee attention rather than enforcement action against the vendor. Committee members did not announce penalties at the meeting; instead the staff member said organizers had shut the operation down on safety grounds and recommended a rule clarification to reduce the risk of future fires.
The committee did not adopt an immediate formal amendment to the rule during the meeting. Staff said they would examine the permit language and bring suggested revisions to a future meeting for formal consideration.
