When a fire starts in the kitchen, users need to act fast to keep the fire from getting out of control. But how they act depends on what kind of fire is and where it is.
Follow these instructions for putting out kitchen fires:
- If the user has a fire in the oven or the microwave, close the door or keep it closed, and turn off the oven. Don’t open the door! The lack of oxygen will suffocate the flames.
- If the oven continues to smoke like a fire is still going on in there, call the fire department.
- If the user has a fire in a cooking pan, use an oven mitt to clap on the lid, then move the pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot.
- If a user can’t safely put the lid on a flaming pan or doesn’t have a lid for the pan, use a fire extinguisher. Aim at the base of the fire, not the flames.
- Never use water to put out grease fires! Water repels grease and can spread the fire by splattering the grease.
Instead, try one of these methods:
- 1) If the fire is small, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner.
- 2) Throw lots of baking soda or salt on it. Never use flour, which can explode or make the fire worse.
- 3) Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large wet cloth.
- 4) Use a fire extinguisher.
Kitchen fire suppression system
- Don’t swat at a fire with a towel, apron, or other clothing. Users are likely to fan the flames and spread the fire.
- If the fire is spreading and the user can’t control it, get everyone out of the house and call 911! Make sure everybody in the family knows how to get out of the house safely in case of a fire. Practice the fire escape route.
