A radio station's turkey-frying stunt was a recipe for disaster Friday morning when an attempt to cook the frozen bird in a van resulted in the vehicle catching fire, eventually injuring a firefighter.
During a stunt for "The MJ Morning Show" on WFLZ, 93.3 FM, a grease fryer was placed inside the van, which had furniture in it that caught fire, said Capt. Bill Wade, Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman.
WFLZ employees were supposed to lower the turkey into the van using a crane, but flames engulfed the vehicle before they had the chance.
Wade said firefighter Ken Licata injured his back during the incident at Clear Channel Radio, 4202 Gandy Blvd. Capt. Licata, a firefighter for 26 years, was treated at a hospital and was recovering at home.
Wade expressed anger over the stunt.
"They wanted a fire," he said. "I am very upset that this radio station chose to do this stunt in an unsafe manner, causing injury to a firefighter."
The morning show and stunt were streamed live on the station's Web site and recorded.
"We'll see what happens when we return," a disc jockey said before cutting to a commercial break, urging listeners to watch the escapade online. By the time the show resumed, the van was aflame.
When reached by phone, WFLZ personality Todd Schnitt, known on the air as "MJ," declined to comment.
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