All fires are different and should be treated differently, too. Grease fires are often more dangerous than other fires since they can easily spread if not properly extinguished. Unfortunately, cooking fire is the major cause of home fires and home injuries. 53% of cooking accidents in the U.S. involved cooking with oil or grease and were responsible for over 172,000 fire emergency calls.

The ability to think and respond quickly is necessary to prevent hazards and fire damage in the kitchen. Please read the following tips on how to put our a grease fire and share them with your families and friends to keep your home safe and your community as well.

How To Put Out A Grease Fire

If a grease fire starts, follow these steps;

1. Turn off the heat source.
2. Cover the flame with a metal lid.
3. If it is a small fire, smother it by pouring baking soda or salt on it.
4. If the fire is too big, spray it with a fire extinguisher.

When You Are Unable to Put Out the Grease Fire:

1. Leave your home as soon as possible to prevent injury and even loss of life. 
2. Don’t leave the door open to help contain the fire.
3. Call 911 or the local fire department immediately as soon as you are in a safe area.
4. Make sure that you don’t enter your home until the firefighters contained the fire.

Water On a Grease Fire

The first thing people do when faced with a grease fire is to pour water. Using the wrong material to put out the flame can make fire damage worse. Using water can make the fire grow and spread since oil and water don’t mix.

How to Prevent a Fire

Here are some tips to prevent grease fires from happening (again):

1. Stay in the kitchen while cooking. Be it frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling, never leave the pot or pan unattended.
2. Be attentive and alert around the fire. Never cook if you are sleepy, tired, or intoxicated. 
3. Keep anything inflammable away from your stovetops such as wooden utensils, potholders, or oven mitts.
4. Use the thermometer to keep the oil or grease at recommended temperature. The autoignition point is between 400 to 435°C (750 to 815 degrees Fahrenheit). Know the flash point and ignition temperature of the kind of oil you have.
5. Get rid of as much moisture as possible from food before putting it in hot oil. Moreover, avoid putting frozen foods into hot grease.
6. Slowly heat oil and gently add food to hot oil to prevent splatter.
7. Turn off the burner or stove once you see an indication of high temperatures such as smoke or oil smell.
8. It’s best to keep a metal pot lid near your counter for easy access in case a fire starts. In addition, keep salt or baking soda nearby to stop the flame.
9. Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
10. Do not let children stay or play around your kitchen especially while cooking.
11. Clean dirt and grease/oil spills in your burners and counters properly.
12. Wear short and tight sleeves, or roll your sleeves up. A loose sleeve or the end of the loose shirt might touch the wrong part of the stove and ignite.

Hire Fire Damage Specialists After a Kitchen Fire

After a kitchen fire, make sure that repairs have been made. Furthermore, ensure that all toxins from soot and smoke are safely eliminated from your kitchen and home before going back to your normal activities. Superior Restoration is a fire damage restoration company that has skilled and trained professionals when it comes to getting rid of soot and fighting fire damage in your home.

 Call us today! Water Damage Lake Elsinore. We are available 24/7 in emergencies.