A pan of hot oil on the stove can catch fire even for an experienced cook. So what do you do to keep the fire from spreading through the whole house? First, don't panic. Second, never try to put out burning oil with water. Below we explain why.
The kitchen is one of the most fire-prone places in a home. Many home fires start here. And it starts with an everyday situation: cooking.
Often people leave food on the stove, forget about it, leave the house or fall asleep. Most of the time it doesn't come to open flame. Usually there is heavy smoke. But it can still end in a serious fire.
Oil in a pan can ignite when it gets very hot. First it boils and starts to smoke, then a flame appears. Different oils and fats start to smoke at different temperatures.
If the fire hasn't spread and stays inside the pan or pot, you can put it out yourself. This is general advice that applies in any home. It comes from fire safety guidance. It is not a service of our El Cajon water and fire restoration company.
Grease Fire on the Stove: What to Do First
The U.S. Fire Administration's cooking safety page gives this advice. Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby. If the pan catches fire, slide the lid or sheet over it and turn the burner off.
- Turn off the stove. Do this if you can do it safely. It stops the heat and keeps the oil from getting hotter.
- Put on oven mitts. If you have oven mitts or pot holders nearby, put them on. They protect your hands from burns while you put the fire out.
- Cover the pan. Use a metal lid or a metal baking sheet, not a glass lid, because glass can crack from the high heat. This cuts off the oxygen, and without oxygen the fire goes out on its own.
- Leave the lid on. Don't lift the lid until everything in the pan has cooled down completely.
- Don't move the pan. Don't try to carry a burning pan or pot anywhere.
Grease Fire and Water: Why It Makes Things Worse
The biggest mistake is splashing water on a burning pan. It won't calm the fire. Instead, the flames grow bigger. Oil does not dissolve in water.
A drop of water is heavier than oil, and water boils at a much lower temperature (212°F) than burning oil, which can reach 570–750°F and higher. So when water gets into the oil, it sinks to the bottom, heats up instantly and turns into steam. Its volume grows about 1,700 times. The steam throws the burning oil upward in a fountain of fire, and the fire grows many times over. Burning drops of oil fly around the kitchen and land on everything nearby.
The main rule: never use water to put out burning oil. It may not stop the fire, and it can make it much bigger.
Grease Fire: What Not to Do
When you put out burning oil, it is important to avoid mistakes. They can cost lives.
- Don't wave at the fire. Never try to beat the flames down by waving your hands, a towel or an apron. That only feeds the fire and helps it spread faster.
- Don't swat it with a towel. Trying to knock the flame down with a cloth will make the fire burn harder.
- Don't take the pan off the stove. Never try to lift a burning pan or pot off the heat with your hands, and don't move it at all. You will most likely spill the burning oil, burn yourself and spread the fire further through the kitchen.
- Don't carry it out. Taking burning cookware out of the room puts your life at risk and can spread the fire.
- Don't throw flour on it. Flour can cause another flash of fire. Baking soda is the one exception, covered below; baking powder is not the same thing and should not be used.
Baking Soda vs. Flour
If you don't have the right lid nearby, you can use what you have on hand.
- Baking soda. Pour it on the fire. Soda gives off carbon dioxide in the heat and helps put out the flame quickly. Dumping a whole box of ordinary baking soda into a burning pan can stop the fire fast. But remember: soda only works on small fires.
- Flour. It may look like baking soda, but it reacts very differently. Don't throw it on the fire.
Grease Fire Extinguisher: Which One Helps
A home fire extinguisher can put out a small grease fire if it is rated for Class B, the class for grease and other flammable liquids. Multipurpose models labeled "B-C" or "A-B-C" are sold at most home improvement stores; Class K extinguishers are made for restaurant kitchens. Read the instructions before you ever need it.
An extinguisher or a fire blanket in the kitchen helps you handle a small fire, as long as it is within reach and you know how to use it.
When to Leave and Call 911
If none of these methods put out the oil and the flames keep spreading, stop trying to put out the fire yourself. If the fire is getting bigger or the room is filling with smoke quickly:
- Get out right away. Leave the apartment or house immediately.
- Close the door behind you. This slows the spread of fire and smoke.
- Warn others. Tell other people about the danger.
- Don't go back. Don't go back for documents, money or other personal things.
- Call 911. Firefighters will deal with the fire and help prevent serious consequences.
Remember that safety always comes first. Don't try to fight a large fire on your own. When a fire breaks out, the first priority is saving people's lives and health, not property.
Oven Fires and Burning Appliances
An oven runs on electricity or gas. If an oven or other appliance catches fire, first turn it off, if you can do that safely, and keep the oven door closed.
Never put water on an appliance that is still plugged in. Besides the fire, you also risk an electric shock. If the fire grows or smoke fills the room, follow the same steps as above: get out, close the door and call 911.
How to Keep a Grease Fire From Starting
Even a short time away from a hot stove can lead to a serious fire. To lower the risk:
- Stay with the pan. Don't leave a pan or pot of heating oil or fat unattended, especially on high heat.
- Keep a lid or baking sheet nearby. Then you can cover the pan quickly if it catches fire.
- Watch the oil temperature. If you see smoke or smell burning, turn off the stove right away and move the pan off the burner.
- Keep things that burn away from the stove. Anything that can catch fire or melt should be kept away: towels, pot holders, curtains, plastic utensils.
- Mind your sleeves. Don't stand at the stove in long sleeves.
- Wipe up spilled grease. Clean all spilled grease off the stove and the counter, because it ignites easily and burns fast.
- Pick the right cookware. Use pots and pans with thick walls and a lid that fits well.
- Check wiring and appliances. Have the electrical wiring checked by an electrician regularly and keep your appliances in good working order.
- Keep small children away. Don't let young children near a working stove or hot cookware. They can touch a hot surface or knock over a pan by accident.
After a Grease Fire: Greasy Smoke Residue
Even when the fire stays in the pan, the kitchen is left with soot and greasy smoke residue on the cabinets, walls and ceiling, plus the smell of burning. How to deal with that is covered in our step-by-step guide to kitchen fire cleanup.
If the fire spread beyond the stove, read about our fire and smoke damage restoration services. Belongings that need to be removed and cleaned are handled through packing out and cleaning contents. If water was used during firefighting, see water damage restoration for your home. You can also learn who we are and how we work, read what homeowners say in reviews, or find more home safety articles on our blog.