What to Do in the Event of a Grease Fire

9/5/2021 (Permalink)

A fire happening whether it’s in your home or a building you’re in is likely a thought that has crossed your mind.

Although there is the fire department to call to help deal with a fire, it is also important that you take steps and precautions to prevent them yourself. A lot less damage could take place if you have fire prevention tools to use while waiting for the fire department to show up.

A common kitchen fire that you may not know how to prevent is a grease fire. These are the steps to take to prevent the spread of a grease fire:

How to prevent the spread

-Cover the fire with a metal lid and leave the cover on until it has cooled.

-Turn the heat source off.

-Pour baking soda or salt on it to smother the fire if possible.

You have to be careful to use either baking soda or salt if you decide to smother the fire. This is because other cooking powders have different chemicals that don’t react the same as baking soda or salt. If you use a different powder it has the chance of making the fire worse. 

What not to do

-Do not try to move the pot/pan outside of the building. 

-Do not try to pour water over it to extinguish the fire. 

If you attempt either of these it can either cause you to get injured or make the fire worse.

Trying to move the pot/pan outside can end up giving you really bad burns or even lead to a fire outside of the building. Be sure to keep in mind the right methods if you ever find yourself in this situation.

What to do if you can’t stop the fire

-Get out of the home or building you are in. It is most important that you, including others, get out of the building safely. This is why it is a top priority to avoid injury and possible loss. 

-Call 911. Be sure you are a reasonable distance from the fire to ensure you are safe before calling. 

-Stay out and far from home/building until the fire has been contained and handled by firefighters.

Ways to prevent grease fires

-Don’t leave food being cooked in grease unattended.

-Keep flammable items far from the stovetop.

-Heat the oil slowly to the recommended temperature.

-Add food into oil/grease gently to avoid any splatter.

Knowing fire prevention methods is very important just in case you ever find yourself in a situation where there is a fire. Knowing ways to slow or stop a fire can help lessen damage from happening in your home.

Here at SERVPRO, we want to help you restore your home and offer services for fire damage repair and restoration. No one ever expects a fire to happen so try and be prepared for the unexpected.