How To Prevent a Grease Fire and What To Do When One Happens

1/8/2021 (Permalink)

Home accidents most commonly occur in the kitchen. Among these incidents, a grease fire is particularly destructive. Here are a few ways to stop one from happening in yours, along with how to proceed should a fire break out.

Prevention Tips

Inhibit a greasy inferno from erupting in your cooking space by:

• Always attending an operating stove
• Removing anything flammable from the immediate area
• Only cooking while sober and fully awake
• Having pan lids and an extinguisher nearby
• Restricting children from entering the stove’s proximity
• Heating oil gradually
• Adding food slowly to minimize grease splatter
• Removing moisture from food before submerging it

Ignorance of safety measures could result in an unruly blaze. If an out-of-control grease fire causes damage to your house, hire a company specializing in residential fire restoration to repair the charring and conduct a professional fire cleanup.

Extinguishing Procedures and Related Safety Tips
Place a metal lid or cookie sheet over wayward flames to smother the burning, leaving it untouched until it has cooled. If your fire is manageable, baking soda or salt can be used to snuff it out. Have a Class B dry chemical fire extinguisher within reach for instances where neither of these options is available or adequate.
Never attempt to extinguish an oil-based fire with water. Such attempts make splashes that can easily spread flames. Flour and baking powder are equally dangerous, as they feed fires instead of ending them.
As soon as your burn zone is contained, switch off the heating source. Let full pots and pans remain in place since scorching oils could easily spill. Shepherd everyone outside, remembering to close the door behind you. Bring your phone and dial 911 once everybody has reached safety.
Even minor grease fires have the potential to create severe structural damage. In addition to knowing how to react after such a crisis erupts, become familiar with how to prevent one.