How to Extinguish a Kitchen Oil Fire
Oil and grease fires are extremely dangerous because they can easily turn into huge life threatening fires! These fires usually end up burning down entire houses and sometimes spreading to other houses in the neighborhood.
Any type of fire can kill people and cause severe property damage.
It is true that salt and baking soda can sometimes put out a very small oil fire but not many people keep enough salt in their kitchen to stop a fire from burning down their house.
Prevention and preparation are the keys, when it comes to putting out oil fires.
Condition and prepare yourself so that if an oil fire breaks out while your around, you will be equipped with knowledge, giving you more control over almost any oilfire type situation.
Make sure to educate your friends, family and loved ones about the dangers of oil fires, as well as the precautions for avoiding them and the methods of extinguishing them!
* Some fires are too large for you to control! If you think that a fire has grown too large and that you can't put it out, then get your family, loved ones and pets out of the house and immediately call 911 ! If you don't have a cell phone, use a neighbors phone to call the police. *
How to Put-Out a Kitchen Oil Fire
Step 1
If your suddenly faced with a small grease or oil fire while cooking in your kitchen, then follow these instructions! :
Calm down and don't panic!
You need to remain clear headed while you handle putting out the fire!
Step 2
Never throw water on an oil fire! This will cause the fire and oil to splash everywhere. Which might catch your entire house on fire!
Don't EVER try to use water to put out an oil fire!
Don't even try to slowly add water to an oil fire because it will cause a giant explosive fireball, catching your whole kitchen ablaze.
Step 3
Don't move the pan!
If the fire started because of a frying pan filled with hot cooking oil, then DON'T touch the pan!
Moving a pan full of burning oil can spill burning oil all over the place, which will quickly catch the rest of your house on fire!
You can also burn yourself badly, all over your body, if the burning oil or fire touches your skin, hair, clothing, etc! So don't move the frying pan!
Step 4
Turn off the heat!
Turn the stove off as fast as you can!
(Only attempt to turn the heat off of the stove, if you can do so safely without burning yourself.)
Step 5
At this point you have a few options for putting out an oil fire. They are :
* Use a fire extinguisher in an attempt to douse the flames.
* If the fire is in a frying pan, use a tight fitting lid to cover the pan. (Covering the entire fire will eventually smother the flames.
This can be deceiving because even after the fire has been doused, just removing the lid can reignite the fire.)
* Cover the entire fire with a large piece of tin foil in an attempt to douse the flames. (If you are attempting to extinguish a fire, using a lid of a frying pan or the aluminum foil method, it is best to keep the lid or the foil over the extinguished fire for at least 15 minutes. This should ensure that the fire doesn't relight when exposed to oxygen.)
* Cover the area in baking soda or salt in an attempt to extinguish the fire.
Step 6
If you think that you have successfully doused the flames, then stay in your kitchen for at least 30 minutes. This is done to make sure that the fire doesn't relight.
** Don't leave the kitchen until any chances of the fire reigniting are gone. **
Step 7
Another method that has been proven to work fast and efficiently when putting out an oil fire is as follows :
Wet a large kitchen towel using tap water from the sink.
Lightly ring out the towel, ringing out some of the excess water. Do this quickly!
Step 8
Quickly cover the pan or oil fire with the wet/damp towel.
This damp towel method might instantly douse the flames of an oil fire. If it does put out the fire then leave the towel in place for about 15 minutes, allowing this hot spot time to cool off before removing the towel.
Leave the damp towel in place even if the fire does appear to be extinguished.
Step 9
If this doesn't work and the fire does not go out then grab a fire extinguisher!
Follow the instructions on the fire extinguisher when using it to put out any type of fire.
Stand back, a few feet away from the fire and spray the fire extinguisher towards the base of the fire until the flames are gone.
Step 10
If the fire extinguisher isn't dousing the flames from the oil fire then immediately :
Get everyone out of the house and call the police!
The 911 operator will alert the correct fire department. The firefighters will eventually show up and try to extinguish the fire.
Get your family, loved ones and pets out of the house immediately! Stand at least 15 feet away from your house and wait for the firefighters to arrive.
Every family should have an emergency fire plan! Check out the resources section of this article for a link with more information.
Always be prepared for an oil fire!
Always take proper precautions to avoid an oil fire!
Warning! :
* Take special precautions when cooking or frying with hot oil!
* Keep a lid that fits tightly on your frying pan close by.
* Keep a fire extinguisher and a phone near by the kitchen.
* Keep a damp rag near by the cooking area.
* Install fire alarms and smoke detectors in your kitchen.
* Don't run if clothing catches fire! You need to quickly : "Stop, Drop and Roll" until the fire is extinguished!
* Never put water on a grease or oil fire!