05

March

1

By Mike Porco / in fire damage, fire storage /

How to Put Out A Grease Fire In Your Kitchen
By 911 Water Damage Experts

Did you know: two out of every five home fires start in the kitchen. Of the two one-third results from unattended cooking. Frying s the leading cause associated with kitchen fires. Cooking oil and grease can easily catch fire if it gets too hot and can quickly start a flame.

And any cooking appliance, be it a stovetop, internal oven, or a backyard grill, can be susceptible to a grease fire. 

An experienced fire restoration company can assist after a grease fire has occurred. Still, wouldn’t it be helpful if you could prevent a major fire in the first place?

Read on to find out more. 

What Causes A Grease Fire?

If you cook with grease and oil, it’s crucial to take the utmost care. It’s easy to get complacent about the safety risks, especially as you’re only thinking about the final product – that delectable piece of bacon or crispy-fried chicken. 

However, oil and grease are hazardous to work with.

When the oil reaches its smoking point at about 350-450 degrees-Fahrenheit, it can quickly overheat, smoke, and then combust. 

But that’s not the only cause of a grease fire.

They can also happen when you accidentally spill hot oil from your pan onto the heat source, such as your stove element.

Even a minuscule amount of grease can cause a massive fire that eventually sees the need for the fire brigade and a fire restoration company. 

How Do You Put Out A Grease Fire?

When your cooking appliance goes on fire, the first thing you’ll probably do is panic. After all, no one naturally knows how to successfully put out such a fire when water is not a suitable option for this fire type.

Fortunately, before the fire takes hold, you’re in a desirable position to try and put it out.

However, it’s important to note that putting out a grease fire will not always be possible.

Sometimes, it becomes too large too quickly for one person to manage on their own. If this is the case, we’ll cover more on what to do in further detail below. 

A Dish Lid

If a grease fire has just kicked off, think quickly by turning off the heat source.

You can then grab the matching lid of your pan or pot and cover it to suppress the flames.

Even though you need to carry out this action quickly, be sure not to splash the grease or hot oil, as it may spread the fire. 

Baking Soda Or Salt

If you don’t have a lid nearby, but you keep salt or baking soda in the kitchen, try to use one or the other to smother the flames.

You can drop a large amount of baking soda or salt directly onto the flames, which can stop them in their tracks. 

Be careful not to apply them sideways or toss them with too much haste.

If you do, you run the risk of causing the flames to leap out of the pan and spread across your cooking appliance. 

A Cookie Sheet

If you have a large pot or pan that doesn’t have a lid, you can get creative to cover the flames using a cookie sheet.

Make sure you turn the heat off, then quickly slide the sheet over the top of the pot or pan and leave it.

Do not remove until the cookie sheet has had ample time to cool down. 

Fire Extinguisher

If there’s one thing that every cook should have in their kitchen, it’s a fire extinguisher.

A Class K or Class B fire extinguisher can quickly put out a fire and prevent further damage. 

A Class B fire extinguisher will be suitable for most fires that happen in kitchens.

However, a Class K fire extinguisher is specially designed to extinguish flames caused by combustible liquids like oil and grease. 

Help! I Can’t Put Out The Fire!

Whether the fire has grown too large, or you simply don’t have anything to put it out with, the only thing that’s left to do is evacuate. 

Get everyone out of the house safely, and close the doors through each part of the house you visit.

Call 911 when you’re in a safe location and don’t enter your home again until emergency services say it’s safe to do so. 

How To Extinguish An Oven Grease Fire

It doesn’t matter whether you have a gas or electric oven – both can be at risk of a grease fire.

If you notice flames in your oven, keep the oven door closed and wait for it to extinguish itself. If you open it, you’re risking the oxygen feeding the fire. 

If it doesn’t go out by itself and, instead, spreads outside the oven, evacuate the house and phone 911. 

How To Extinguish A Grease Fire On A Grill

It’s essential to get into the habit of cooking on a backyard grill with a Class K fire extinguisher, baking soda, or sand close at hand. These three things can prove useful for extinguishing flames before they turn into serious fire. 

What Not To Put On A Grease Fire

We’ve mentioned many of the helpful things you can use to put out a grease fire, like salt, baking soda, sand, a Class B or Class K fire extinguisher, lids, and cookie sheets.

However, there are a few things that you might naturally reach for that can actually make a grease fire worse. 

Never Use:

• Water – It can cause a steam explosion that causes the flames to spread.
• Dinnerware – Ceramic can explode and cause serious damage to people and property.
• Flour – Flour in the air can ignite and burst.
• Baking Powder – Don’t accidentally reach for baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking powder will ignite if you put it on a grease fire. 

How To Stop A Grease Fire From Happening In The First Place

Grease fires can be terrifying. They can grow quickly and lead to significant personal and property damage. However, with the right precautions, you may be able to stop them from happening. 

• Heat oil to a recommended temperature and monitor with a thermometer.
• Lower food gently into pans and pots to avoid splatter.
• Never put wet foods into hot grease.
• Keep flammables like wooden utensils, sleeves, and dish towels, away from heat sources.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Don’t investigate the smell of smoke or burning. Turn off the heat source and don’t move the pan. 

But If The Worst Should Happen…

As preventable as grease fires are, accidents happen. If you find yourself with an out-of-control grease fire you can’t contain, immediately exit your home and move to somewhere safe where you can dial 911. 

Emergency services can do their best to put out the fire and keep damage to a minimum. A fire restoration company can then come in once the danger is over and do their best to restore your property and many possessions to their former glory. 

If you have any questions about fire damage restoration feel free to call us at 1-833-WE-DRY-IT anytime all the time 24/7/365 or chat with us in near real-time on our Facebook fan page.