Why do grease fires start

Do NOT fan the fire with a dry or wet cloth. This can also cause the grease to splash or fire to spread onto other surfaces. Do NOT use flour on a grease fire. While sometimes baking soda can extinguish a small grease fire though not if the fire is too overwhelming , flour cannot and should not be used.

Do not attempt to touch it until you are certain the fire is out and it has cooled. If the grease fire does not go out after the above measures… Try a fire extinguisher. If you cannot extinguish flames with the measures above, a Class B dry chemical fire extinguisher can be used as a last resort in the event of a grease fire. Get out! The safety of you and your family is more important than the safety of your house.

You could splash burning oil on yourself — or spread the fire. NEVER use water. Using water on a grease fire will spread the fire! Water will sink, superheat, and splatter, spreading the fire.

NEVER pour baking products on the fire. Flour and sugar make grease fires worse! Only baking soda and salt will work. The best way to stop the grease fire is by smothering it. Keep a cooking or a baking sheet nearby, and cover the pan after you have turned off the heat. Covering the pan will cause the fire to consume what oxygen is left, allowing the fire to dwindle.

It is also wise to keep a fire extinguisher ready in the kitchen for extreme situations, but if the fire becomes too much to handle, evacuate your home and call the fire department.

While you can take steps to prevent grease fires in your kitchen, one of the most important ways to avoid becoming a statistic is the implementation of a family fire escape plan. Call Us Join Our Team. Call right away if you don't know what to do, or if the fire becomes out of control. Keeping your cooking space free of combustibles and monitoring your pans closely is very important.

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Fire Administration. Cooking fires in residential buildings December Cooking oils and smoke points: What to know and how to choose the right cooking oil. Updated Sept 25, Brigade Fire Protection. How to prevent and put out a grease fire.

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These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Recap Small, contained grease fires can usually be handled without assistance from the fire department. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

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