ACCIDENTAL HOME FIRES OFTEN START WHILE COOKING IN THE KITCHEN
Kitchen grease fires are frightening, and you need to act fast. Often, though, your first instincts—throw water or move the burning pan outside—are the opposite of what you need to do. Clean Earth Restorations gives you San Diego fire information that you must know.
- Grease fires CANNOT be put out with water. Throwing water on a grease fire will cause the grease to splatter violently, spreading the fire and burning anybody close by.
- Grease fires can be put out with APPROPRIATE fire extinguishers. Not all extinguishers can be used on grease fires. Make sure and stock your kitchen with a Class K extinguisher for grease fires.
- Smothering the fire is the necessary response. To do so, use a pot holder to hold a lid and approach the fire at an angle. Quickly but gently lay it over the pan and then turn off the burner. By removing the oxygen source of the fire, you will stop the fire. If you cannot find a lid, you can use other objects like cookie sheets or pans with flat bottoms larger than the pan which is on fire.
INFORMATIVE VIDEO THAT SHOWS YOU HOW TO PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE
For a demonstration of the above instructions, watch this report of a family that had a grease fire that led to injuries and of a local fire department that staged a fire to show viewers what to do in a similar situation. You will see what happens when you throw even a small amount of water on a grease fire.
Check out this video about putting out a kitchen fire without an extinguisher: How to Put Out a Kitchen Fire Without an Extinguisher
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF EXTINGUISHERS?
Not all extinguishers can be used on all fires. Here is an informative page about the different kinds of extinguishers you may encounter.