The Dangers of a Grease Fire

4/20/2022 (Permalink)

The stove is the result of a grease fire. It is covered in smoke and soot damage.

Statistics reveal that nearly 5,000,000 cooking fires occur annually in the home. Of these fires, grease fires are the most dangerous and are responsible for 1 in every 5 home fire deaths.

It only takes a fraction of a second for the grease on an oven, stove, or fryer to get too hot and erupt into flames. Suddenly, cooking a meal turns into a very dangerous situation.

Most people aren’t prepared to deal with those scary circumstances. Often, their reaction is to try to put grease fires out only to intensify the problem, sometimes leading to catastrophic results.

Here are some ways to prevent a grease fire from happening:

• When cooking with oil always heat it up slowly.
• Never leave hot grease unattended.
• If following a cooking recipe, make sure to closely follow the recommended cooking temperatures.
• Be prepared in case of a fire. Always have oven mitts, potholders, a lid to cover the fire, and a fire extinguisher.

When reacting to a grease fire, first things first is to remain calm and don't panic. Do not pick up the pan that is on fire as it could be extremely hot and could cause more damage to your home. You should also NEVER put water on a grease fire. This will cause the burning oil to splash and could likely burn your skin and cause a bigger flame. What you should do is cover the pan with a lid. The lack of oxygen will smother the flames. Once the lid is firmly placed on the pan, turn the burner off and wait 25-30 minutes before touching the lid or pan. 

If the fire gets out of hand too quickly, immediately clear the area and call 911.