How To Put Out the Grease Fire You Might Have Started

6/24/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damage in Weaverville, NC.

How Do You Stop A Grease Fire?

You’ve just moved to Weaverville, NC and your new friends don’t know you very well yet, so they have allowed you access to the kitchen. They’ve even been encouraging you to cook. You want to leave a good impression, so here are the steps you need to take should you accidentally start a grease fire:

1. Turn off the source of heat. Typically, this means turn off the stove your pot or pan is sitting on. If the dial is on the back of the stove, avoid reaching directly over the fire while you do so.

2. Cover with a metal lid or another pot, pan, or even cooking sheet. The idea is to remove as much oxygen as possible from the flame.

3. If you cannot get something on it to cover, throw on baking soda (tons of it) or salt.

4. Use a Class B fire extinguisher as your last resort. If you are unsure of what that is, it is better to simply follow the next step and forget this one.

5. If the fire is taking too long to contain or is larger than you feel comfortable dealing with, get out of the house. Shut the door on your way out to help keep the fire contained, and once you are a safe distance away, call 911.

In order to keep yourself and the rest of your property safe, do not do the following:

1. Use water or any fabrics to put out a grease fire.
2. Use baking powder or any powders that looks like baking soda or salt. They might look the same on the outside but are made of different chemicals and can lead to a less-than-fun chemistry experiment.
3. Try to move the flaming pot or pan.
   
   

As much as you may want to save the cosmetics of the kitchen, safety is always more important than easy fire cleanup. The steps above may help you put the grease fire out sooner and with less damage, but if you have any doubts, you should always follow step #5 first and seek the help of professionals.