How to handle a grease fire in the home.
Did you know that the number one cause of house fires is cooking? Most of us cook at home every day, yet very few of us know what to do if something goes wrong. Grease can quickly escalate the severity of a cooking fire, so we should all know how to prevent such an incident and how to handle one if necessary.
Prevent a grease fire:
- Stay in the kitchen when you have a pan on the stove
- Keep an eye on the deep fryer or frying pan
- Turn off the burner if you suspect the grease is getting too hot
- Place the food in the grease carefully to prevent hot grease splatter
In the event of a grease fire:
- Turn off burner! Avoid moving the pot from the stove as the grease could splash on you or the kitchen surfaces.
- Put a lid on the pot or frying pan to smother it.
- If the fire is out of control, call 911 immediately. Get everyone outside of the house.
- Never pour water on a grease fire – This makes things a lot worse.
- Do not fan the fire with a wet or dry cloth. This can also cause the grease to splash or fire to spread onto other surfaces.
- Avoid using flour to put out the grease fire.
- Due to the chemical risk of contaminating your kitchen, putting out a grease fire with your fire extinguisher should be the last resort.
Take action to prevent grease fires and ensure you know how to handle such an event. Remember that your home insurance can help if your home is damaged by a kitchen fire. For help finding the right coverage for your needs,
contact the team at Tompkins Insurance Agencies to get started.
