Grease Fires

Grease fires most often occur when a person in a home or restaurant kitchen leaves a pan of oil or grease unattended and it heats to dangerous temperatures. Although a person’s first instinct may be to throw water on a fire, throwing water on a grease fire can actually cause an explosion, splattering hot grease and resulting in serious burns and other injuries.

Responding to a Grease Fire

To extinguish a grease fire, it is important to remember:

• Do not attempt to move the pan. This can cause grease to splatter and cause devastating burn injuries.

• Turn off the heat source underneath the burning pan. This will allow the grease to begin to cool.

• Cut off the fire’s supply of oxygen. The easiest way to do this is to cover the burning pan with a lid or with a towel that has been slightly dampened. You may also attempt to smother the fire using baking soda. However, it is important never to throw flour or sugar onto the fire, as this can cause an explosion much like throwing water on the fire.

• Wait until the grease has had time to cool before lifting the lid to see if the fire has been extinguished. Lifting the lid before the grease has sufficiently cooled can cause a fire to reignite when oxygen is reintroduced.

By understanding how to extinguish grease fires, you can keep them from spiraling out of control and causing much more serious damage and injuries.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has been injured in a grease fire, the grease fire lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ® can help. Contact our offices today by calling 800-242-2874.