How to Handle a Grease Fire in the Home
You’ve started to warm up the olive oil to sauté some delicious vegetables when you suddenly get distracted by your phone, kids or a knock at the door. The oil in the pan heats up, starts to smoke, and before you know it, it catches on fire. What you do to put out the grease fire can either work for you or against you, so check out these tips on how to handle this situation.
Prevent a grease fire:
- Stay in the kitchen when you have a pan on the stove
- Keep an eye on the deep fryer or frying pan
- Turn off the burner if you suspect the grease is getting too hot
- Place the food in the grease carefully to prevent hot grease splatter
In the event of a grease fire:
- Turn off the heat immediately if it is safe to do so. Avoid moving the pot from the stove as the grease could splash on you or the kitchen surfaces.
- Put a lid on the pot or frying pan to cut off oxygen to the fire.
- If the fire is out of control, call 911 immediately. Get everyone outside of the house.
- Never pour water on a grease fire – This makes things a lot worse.
- Do not fan the fire with a wet or dry cloth. This can also cause the grease to splash or fire to spread onto other surfaces.
- Avoid using flour to put out the grease fire.
- Due to the chemical risk of contaminating your kitchen, putting out a grease fire with your fire extinguisher should be the last resort.
Take action to prevent grease fires and ensure you know how to handle such an event. Remember that your home insurance can help if your home is damaged by a kitchen fire. For all of your home insurance needs, contact Hoffman Brown Company. We are here to insure your assets and future.
