The Proper Ways To Put Out a Grease Fire

7/18/2019 (Permalink)

Prevent a grease fire in your home

Things to Do When you Encounter a Grease Fire

A grease fire is one of the most dangerous fires you will encounter, and not for the reasons you might think. Grease fires are extremely difficult to put out, as they thrive off of oxygen (as all other types of fire do) and they become worse with water. You read that right, grease fires become worse with water. If you should encounter a fire caused by grease and an open flame, here's what you need to know:

• Turn off the source of the heat.
• Do NOT put water on the fire.
• Cover the flame with a pot, pan or other non-flammable device to stop the flow of oxygen.
• If you can't cover it, dump baking soda or salt on it.
  

If all of the above fail to get the fire under control, find a fire extinguisher and spray the fire until it is out.

What To Do If You Cannot Get the Grease Fire Under Control

If you fail to get the fire under control on your own, get out of the house ASAP. Do not continue to attempt to battle the inferno on your own, as you may only make matters worse and put yourself in grave danger. Instead, contact your Santa Maria, CA, fire department to help battle the flames. Once the fire crew has done its job, a fire cleanup crew can help with the restoration process.
It's important to note that once you leave your home, close the door and make sure all windows are closed. Again, grease fires thrive off of oxygen, so you want to make sure there is as little airflow as possible in your home. Do not reenter your home until the fire damage team has officially put out the flames.

Preventing Grease Fires

There are steps you can take to prevent grease fires, the most obvious of which is to keep anything flammable away from the stovetop. You should also always be in the kitchen when you're cooking and make sure children stay away from the heated stovetop. When heating oil, do so slowly, and never raise its temperature above that recommended by the manufacturer.
If you can't prevent a grease fire, try the above tips. A fire damage cleanup crew can then help with the restoration.