How to Start a Grease Fire Fast and Safely

• Never throw water on a grease fire — it will cause it to splatter and spread.
• Do not turn the heat off as quickly as possible.
• To stop the fire from burning, cover it with a metal cap and extinguish the fire using salt or baking soda.
• Visit Insider’s Home & Kitchen Reference library for more stories.

Grease fires are not something to be taken lightly when it comes to kitchen mishaps. These flare-ups are notoriously difficult to put out and easy to ignite.

Sylvia Fountaine is a former chef, restaurateur, and current recipe developer. Feasting at HomeAs someone who has seen many grease fires in her career, Cathy says that grease fires are often started by. “unattended cooking.”Cooking oil can easily get scorched if you don’t keep an eye on the stovetop. “far too hot”Start to ignite.

Grease fires can be prevented by using a grease trap. “regularly monitor your hot grease with a thermometer,”Fountaine. Fountaine. “smoke point”The temperature at which oil starts to risk catching on fire is called the smoke point. It varies from oil to oil. Vegetable oil can smoke at 450°F, while animal fats like bacon grease can smoke at 375°F. When your grease reaches the smoke point, you can either lower the heat or remove the pan completely from the burner.

Grease fires are scary and intimidating. However, these tips will help you extinguish them quickly.

How to safely extinguish grease fires

1. Heat off

Fountaine states that the first step to putting out a grease-fire is to remove the heat source. Fountaine warns, however, that it is important to remove the heat source before you can put out a grease fire. “never move the pot off of the burner. If the oil is burning, it’s going to be bubbling aggressively and is likely to splash up at you, which can cause severe burns to your skin.”

Instead, leave the pot alone and turn the burner off completely. “Without heat, the fire will eventually resolve itself,” Fountaine explains.

2. Cover the flame with a lid made of metal

You should place a metal cover on any pans or pots where the fire is starting. This will ensure that you don’t burn anything. “starve the fire of oxygen and it will extinguish faster,”Fountaine said.

You should not try to cover the flames with a glass lid if the pan or pot has one. Fountaine claims that glass is not able to withstand heat generated by grease fires.

You can use a metal baking pan to smother the flames if there is no metal lid to cover the pot or pan.

3. Baking soda or salt can be added

You can use baking soda or salt as extinguishers, particularly if you have a small grease fire. “Pour a large amount of baking soda or salt on the fire,”Fountaine.

What to NOT do in a grease fire?

Do not leave!

Do not leave the stovetop while the grease fire is still burning, no matter what you do. “While you wait for the fire to burn out, stay with it to monitor it and ensure it doesn’t grow out of control,”Fountaine.

Water shouldn’t be added

Water and oil repel one another so it is not possible to use water as an extinguisher on grease fires. The oil will splash out further if you add water to the fire, which can spread the flames.

Do not add flour or sugar

Baking soda and salt are good DIY fire extinguishers. However, this rule does not apply to all baking ingredients. Flour and sugar ignite quickly so you can pour them onto a grease fire to make the flames bigger and more chaotic.

What if the fire is not going out?

If none of these steps work and the fire continues to grow, you should call the fire department. “Don’t be a hero and try to manage an escalating fire yourself. Calling emergency services can mean the difference between life and death for anyone near the fire,”Fountaine said.

Insider’s Takeaway

Grease fires can be scary in the kitchen. But, there are quick ways to manage this issue. Put on oven mitts, turn off heat, cover flames with a sheet pan or metal lid, then sprinkle salt or baking soda over the fire to extinguish it. Get out of the home immediately if the fire doesn’t stop spreading or is not putting out any smoke.