Don't be embarrassed! We've heard it lots of times! "I put the pan on the stove and then the phone rang (or there was a knock on the door, television show, a book, I forgot, etc.). Next thing I knew, the smoke detector went off and the kitchen was on fire!"

 

It is a very common mistake people make. People put food on the stove to cook and then something happens and they forget about it until the fire starts. If you are home, you find out about it fairly quickly. If you put the pan on, forget it and then leave, it is usually discovered when your neighbors notice the flames from your home and call the fire department.

 

This article is meant to provoke you to think. There is nothing more that can be done prevention and education-wise other than to try to peg your memory to remember that you've put food on the stove to cook. The only thing we can address is what to do if a fire does start.

 

The most common type of cooking fire is what we call "dry cooking." This is where you put some food in a pan, turn the heat on and leave it. The water/moisture boils out and the food scorches, producing smoke. Usually no great amount of fire or damage is present with dry cooking. Sometimes the heat can damage surrounding items and the smoke can leave a residue and odor. Just some cleanup and everything is fine. Occasionally, depending on the amount of food and proximity of other combustibles, this type of fire can do more damage.

 

Another type is the "grease fire" where oil or greasy-type food is heated to ignition. The oil used to cook french fries, fried chicken or fish, doughnuts, bacon, hamburgers, etc., is a good example. This is usually a type of fire that does more damage. There can be open flaming from the pan that usually extends to the surrounding cabinets or other combustibles in the area. If left unchecked, this fire can become a major house fire, extending to the attic or other rooms. At that stage, it can be life threatening.

 

A third type of cooking fire is something in the oven. Most of the time these are not serious fires. The fire is usually contained in the cooking chamber, which is designed to contain heat anyway. These types of fires normally either suffocate or are extinguished. Portable cooking grills can be fire hazards when the heat escapes the cooking unit. Many fires have been started when hot coals escape from the charcoal pit, usually onto a wooden deck. Other fires have started from propane powered grills with leaking gas. (see article on NATURAL/PROPANE GAS LEAKS)

 

In all cases, life safety should be considered first. Make sure all persons evacuate to a safe location. Call 911. If The fire is still small and you wish to use a fire extinguisher, follow the guidelines for using an extinguisher. (see article on FIRE EXTINGUISHERS)

 

First Aid Firefighting for grease fires on the stove.  There are alternate methods of extinguishments. The simplest is to place the lid over the pan and the fire will suffocate. If the flames are too great, do not risk a burn, call 911. Baking soda can also be used on grease fires, if you have enough. Be sure to turn off the burner.

 

NEVER attempt to put water on a grease fire! Water added to hot grease pops and splatters and can greatly (dramatically) increase the size of the fire and you could be seriously burned.

 

NEVER attempt to carry a flaming pan of hot grease or oil out of your house! It WILL get too hot to carry, you WILL drop it, severely burning yourself and you WILL successfully spread the fire to the rest of your house. Burns from grease are very bad burns because the grease sticks to your skin and you can't easily remove it.