Kitchen Fires & How To Put Them Out

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Written By Mariano Clement Gupana

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Kitchen Fires & How To Put Them Out

Kitchen fires are a serious ordeal and learning how to put out fires is a vital skill. They start 44% of house fires, account for 15% of fire deaths in the home, and cause over 1 billion dollars in damages each year. Kitchen fires start for a number of reasons, most involved in multi-tasking while in the kitchen and getting distracted. Some ignite due to equipment malfunctions or electricity but the majority happen when people malfunction. The #1 kitchen fire starter around the world, is oil. Oil can get extremely hot and ignite in milliseconds.

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Different Fire Extinguishers to Put Out Fires in the Kitchen

There are some basic things you should consider having in the home in the event of a fire. The first is a fire blanket. Fire blankets are large and white and come in a red, labeled box. They're made from woven glass fiber fabric with an inner film of flame retardant. They work by cutting off the oxygen supply to the fire. To use it simply unfold it completely and toss it over the whole fire.

The second is a fire extinguisher, and not just any old one though. There are 5 classes of fire extinguishers. A, B, C, D, and K. A is for Ash, it's labeled with a green triangle and is used for solid combustibles like wood, paper, and textiles. B extinguishers come with a red square symbol and function best for flammable liquids and gasses like gasoline and methane. C extinguishers stand for Current, they have a blue circle around them. They're for electrical fires. Second to last is D for Dynamite which comes as a D in a yellow star and is used for combustible metals like sodium, potassium, and uranium. Last but certainly not least, is our trusty K extinguisher. The K stands for Kitchen, It's identifiable by a K in a black hexagon.

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Oil Fires

Oil and grease can cause an infinite amount of issues at home and in a restaurant; clogged pipes, disposing of, storing, cleaning, handling the hot stuff, and most important of all, making sure it doesn't set ablaze. In a commercial kitchen if old grease builds on the hood above the cookers you risk setting that on fire and burning the whole restaurant down, and unfortunately, water will only make it worse... much, much worse.

When you think of oil and water the same thing should jump to mind; That they don't mix, emulsify, combine, whatever you want to call it, the water sinks to the bottom because it is denser than the oil. Let's a very hot pan with very hot oil in it, ready to fry and it ignites, you pour a cup of water onto it, the water sinks to the bottom boils, and evaporates releasing oxygen and hydrogen molecules into the air. If you recall anything from first-grade chemistry, oxygen is incredibly flammable on its own, imagine those oxygen particles being charged up vibrating so fast they heat up and eventually set on fire a few milliseconds later.

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How to Put Out Fires Caused by Oil?

Supposing your oil does set on fire mid-cook, reaction time is the difference between a close call and being homeless. First, cover the flames with something that will not burn, the lid to the pot/pan you're using work, or ideally a fire blanket depending on the size of the fire.

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Next cut off the heat source. Whatever stove you're using either cut it off safely with a range switch or dial. If you were in the kitchen when the fire first started, and you were doing everything right in there, chances are you'll be able to catch the fire quickly, in which case you could pour some salt or baking soda (how long does baking soda last?) onto the flame to smother it. Do not, under any circumstances use something else like baking powder (how long does baking powder last?), flour, or some form of sugar because that's a sure way to lose your kitchen or worse your home. As a last resort use the kitchen fire extinguisher every k home should have.

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Range Fires

Ranges are the second to first kitchen fire starters in the country, ironically, and contrary to popular beliefs electric ranges cause more than double the kitchen fires in the US than gas cookers do. This is because once you turn that thing off it goes completely dark and you would have never known it was on.

Personally, I find this way more dangerous in a household with kids or special needs people because they're much more likely to mindlessly touch a stove as long as it doesn't look standoffish or red hot. They're also easier to turn on with just a few touches of a button. Let's not forget the risk of placing a cloth, or maybe a chopping board onto it while it's still hot and having that catch on fire.

Not to say that gas ranges don't cause the same damage on a smaller scale. Using a tablecloth to hold a pot handle while you mix whatever is inside can pose a threat, should a dangling side swing into the flame.

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Microwave Fires

Microwave fires are way more common than you might think and normally happen because someone put the material in there that he/she shouldn't have, turn the thing onto high, and set ablaze whatever was inside at the time. It happens to the best of us. Dry towels and metal are the things to avoid in a microwave.

Oven Fires

Takes you back to the Great Ol' Fire of London back in 1666. Ovens can be tempting fire starters because let's face it, 99.99% of the time we don't focus on what's in the oven. The majority of the time we just throw the tray in and retreat to our glass of wine or beer. That's where the trouble lies. Almost all oven fires start because they are left unattended so often. I've actually known some people to switch it on at night and bake something in there, WHILE THEY WERE SLEEPING UPSTAIRS. Don't do that, please. If you catch fire in the oven just turn it off and close the door.

Ovens aren't well-ventilated by design, so the fire will burn up its oxygen and then eventually go out. If this is the case open some windows and then slowly open the oven door again, there will be quite a bit of smoke. If the fire does not go out and becomes out of your control, get outside and call 911.

Electrical Fires

Electrical appliances, loose wires, overbearing sockets, toasters, grills, etc, etc. Take care of your electrical appliances and keep them far away from water. Keep curtains out of toasters, don't overload sockets, and make sure there aren't any exposed wirings. Electrical burns are particularly nasty and can cause permanent damage.

Over to you. How do you put out fires in the kitchen?

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