Did you know that cooking in the kitchen causes approximately 160,000 home structures each year (Source)?
And, cooking fires are known to be one the number one causes of fires and injuries inside of homes today. It is also important to note that 2/3rds of these annual fires are accidently started with the ignition of greasy foods and other types of cooking materials.
Simply put, many of these fires are caused and then ignited more by cooking with grease.
Therefore, it is very important that homeowners and their families learn as much as they can about putting out these fires quickly, and how to minimize these damages by learning what actions work and what actions cause more problems.
So, with this article and the information contained in it, here is some invaluable information that everyone in the home should know, including how to avoid a devastating disaster that can injure and result in death.
Contents
Video: How do you put out a grease fire
Ways To Put Out A Grease Fire
1: Cover the flames of the fires with a metal lid
When a grease fire starts, the flames from the fire can easily rise and spread with the wrong action. For instance, if you throw water on a grease fire, the flames of the fire will begin to get higher instead of going out.
Since water on a grease fire will only further exacerbate the fire, it is important that everyone knows how to smother the fire with the best method. For instance, to put out a grease fire quickly, one of your best courses of action is to cover the fire with a metal lid.
Therefore, if you can grab any type of lid that is made of metal or a large cookie sheet, you can put this type of covering over the flames. Once this metal lid covers the fire and begins to reduce and eliminate the flames, you should allow it to cool off first, and then remove the lid.
2. Turn off the heat source
It is also important to respond as quickly as you can to get rid of a grease fire. So, to ensure a grease fire can not cause any further damage, you should make sure that you turn off the source of the heat. Simply put, turn the knob off on the stove. By turning the aisle off first, you can prevent the heat to the pan from continuing to burn the grease and the pan.
3. Salt & baking soda
If you catch the beginning of a grease fire early, there are some things that you can do to eliminate these fires quickly. And, that is to pour salt or baking soda on top of the fire before it spreads. Salt and soda will not react to the grease like the water does. Instead, it will begin growing and spreading quickly.
Salt and baking soda are ideal for house grease fires for a number of different reasons, especially because these two ingredients release carbon monoxide that is needed. Carbon monoxide is critical for grease fires since it works to take away the oxygen from the flames and will begin to reverse and stop the spread.
Step 4. Use a Fire Extinguisher
You can also use a fire extinguisher to stop a grease fire. However, before you grab a fire extinguisher for this kind of fire, you need to know exactly what you are doing and the reasons why you should or should not use this particular method.
First of all, a fire extinguisher should be used as the last resort to put out a grease fire. This is because fire extinguishers must be a specific class before it can be effective on a fire. For instance, if you are going to use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire, the fire extinguisher must be a Class B dry chemical fire extinguisher. This is because the Class B dry chemical fire extinguishers are designed specifically for putting out a grease fire.
On the other hand, if you only have access to a Class A fire extinguisher, do not attempt to use it on a grease fire. Class A fire extinguishers are made with a water-based mixture. Therefore, it will make the spread of the fire much worse. Of course, dispose of old fire extinguishers and make sure you have an up-to-date one on hand at all times.
Precautions: Do not pour water on a grease fire
As mentioned above, do not try to extinguish a grease fire with water. Water and grease do not mix and will make the fire spread a lot quicker. The grease in the water can also cause the grease to pop-up out of control and may cause injuries to anyone who is standing nearby.
Step 6: What not to do: Avoid removing the pot or pan from the stove to take it outside.
You may also be tempted to move the pot or pan from the stove in order to take it outside. Though this may appear to be a good solution during this time, this could not be farther from the truth.
Actually, the grease inside of the pot or pan can easily move around and then pop up on the body of the person that’s trying to make it outside of the door. If this happens, the grease can cause injury to that person, and the fire can spread to other places of the home.
Conclusion
How do you put out a grease fire? The answer to this question is not really complex. However, you need to know exactly what should be done in an emergency situation to protect life, and minimize the damage to your home.
Based on the steps provided above, the actions that you take first is the key to putting the fire out immediately. From placing a metal lid over the grease fire to pouring salt or baking soda over the flames, these are quick and immediate solutions to controlling small grease fires before they get out of hand.
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