The upcoming holiday season is when the highest incidence of kitchen grease fires occur.
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. It’s an American favorite. But it’s also when the highest incidence of kitchen fires occur. For this reason, here’s how to react if a grease fire starts in your home or restaurant’s kitchen. This is important since the nature of grease fires are different from other common fires. Read on to learn more!
Don’t Use Water on a Grease Fire
Let’s start off with the most essential point about grease fires: Don’t ever try to extinguish grease fires with water. Pouring water on a grease fire might be your first instinct. Unfortunately, this will make things a lot worse. Water and oil don’t mix. Water creates an explosion of steam as it hits the flaming oil, which spreads fiery droplets of oil throughout the kitchen. Trust the fire experts and don’t try it.
Turn Off the Heat
Before you try anything, turn off the heat and, if you can safely do so, cover the pan. If the fire is spreading, call 911. But if your fire is relatively contained you can try using baking soda or salt to extinguish the fire. Make sure you don’t move the flaming pan or pot. The airflow as you do may cause the flames to burn and grow more intensely.
Fire Extinguishers are Key
You should always have a class K fire extinguisher in your kitchen. These may be a little more expensive than standard units, but if you ever experience a grease fire, you’ll be glad you have one. It is worth the long-term investment. If you do not know how to use a fire extinguisher correctly, look at our website or give us a call.
Fire Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your commercial property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and property from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our superb customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. We are in Baltimore, MD, with a second office in Leesburg, VA. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.