How to prevent a Grease Fire

2/14/2023 (Permalink)

Grease fires are one of the most dangerous types of fires that you can encounter. They may not seem like much at first, but they can quickly spread throughout your entire home or business. Taking some simple steps to prevent a grease fire is important for everyone who uses the kitchen.

Fire Prevention

Make sure your cooking space is clear of all oil spills or food and supplies that could potentially cause a fire to ignite. All oils have different properties and respond differently to heat. Olive oil has a high smoke point and so it can withstand high temperatures without burning. Peanut oil is great for frying because it has more saturated fat than other types of vegetable oil. Canola oil also has a relatively high smoke point but has been genetically modified to not contain toxins.

How to Extinguish a Grease Fire

If a grease fire does break out in your kitchen, cover the top of the container with a lid. This is an easy way to control a grease fire, as it prevents oxygen from entering the container and feeding the flames. If you don't have an immediate lid, try using baking soda or another powder-based kitchen fire extinguisher to smother it instead.

Use salt or sand if you have enough of it. If there's any salt or sand nearby (such as in your garage), use this method in place of covering up with a lid because these materials can be more effective at quenching flames than lids are. Just sprinkle some over one side of the flame until it dies out completely!

Contact your local emergency services if the flames look like they may grow larger than expected or reach somewhere dangerous. You should never attempt anything more than controlling them yourself when dealing with such small sources of heat.

Shut off the Gas

If a grease fire is out of control, you may need to shut off the gas and electricity. Shut off the gas by shutting down your home's main valve at the source (usually located near where the piping enters your home). You can also check for an emergency shutoff lever on or near your stove top for quick access in case you need it. Shutting off both of these sources will cut off any more fuel from getting into the kitchen, which should help put out any flames that remain.

Open windows as soon as possible after turning off electricity and gas to let out heat and prevent further damage to surrounding objects if they're still burning. Call 911 once you've successfully closed all sources of fuel feeding into your kitchen, but don't wait until you've done this—the longer it takes for someone else to get there, the worse things could get!

Grease fire safety is an important topic because if you are not prepared, you can cause serious damage to your home and put your family at risk. If your home or business suffers from a fire loss, give SERVPRO a call immediately.