How To Prevent and Put Out a Grease Fire

3/14/2022 (Permalink)

Learn More about How To Prevent and Put Out a Grease Fire in your Bath, NC home.

When it comes to home fires, cooking fires top the list of culprits. Many statistics indicate that there are more than 5,000,000 a year, though many are small ones. If a grease fire happens in your Bath, NC home, it can quickly escalate and requires a professional fire cleanup company to return your kitchen to normal.

Knowing how to prevent them and safely extinguish are essential to minimizing the damage.

Prevention Tips

While cooking, different oils and greases have different flashpoints. Simply setting the burner too high or letting grease buildup in the oven are sure ways to enhance the chances of a fire happening. Below are key ways to prevent that from happening.

Never leave cooking unattended. While it may not seem like a big deal to leave the room to quickly check on something, a fire may start in seconds. When using oils and grease, it’s especially important to diligently watch the stove. Boiling oil or smoke are indicators that a fire may start.

Understand what oils you are cooking with and know their flashpoints. Regardless of the oil, heat it slowly to minimize potential risk.

Ensure any combustible materials are safely stored away from cooking areas. Any spills or residue from boiling over should be properly cleaned to avoid buildup.

Keep a lid nearby. Even if you don’t need it for the dish you are cooking, keep it within arm’s reach just in case.

Have a fire extinguisher stored in the kitchen and know how it works. It is recommended to keep a Class K or B in the kitchen.

Safely Extinguishing the Flames

While cooking safety may help prevent a grease fire, one may still happen. When that does, take the following steps to properly extinguish it.

Never use water or move the pot or pan. Water or excess movement will only cause the flaming grease to splash, increasing the chances of the fire worsening. Baking soda or salt should be used to smother the fire instead, though it often requires using a lot of them. At the first signs of trouble, turn the heat source off. If it happens in the oven, don’t open the door. This helps ensure the fire doesn’t get the oxygen it needs to spread.

If you followed the preventive tips above, you will have a lid nearby that you can put over the flames. It is recommended to use a metal lid or baking sheet instead of glass or ceramic, which may shatter. Never use anything that is flammable, such as an oven mitt or towel.

If the fire persists, grab the fire extinguisher. Ensure it is not a Class A, which is water-based. Extinguishers that are classified as ABC are also safe to use. After the fire is out, remember that additional cleaning will be needed to clean up the residue left behind.

Ideally, it is best to avoid a grease fire altogether. Even when taking preventive steps, accidents may still happen. If that occurs, know the proper way to extinguish this type of fire to avoid it spreading and causing more damage.