Grease Fires in your home

Kerner Kafka Fire Fighter with Escambia County Fire rescue

Grease Fires in your home
What to do & not to do in case of fire in your kitchen.

We've had a few kitchen fires lately so we asked our friend Kerner Kafka at the Escambia County Fire Rescue to write a quick article with some Do's and Do Not's for Kitchen fires.

Any fire is dangerous; in my opinion a grease fire is the worst fire there is.  Most cooking greases and oils ignite between 176 and 226 degrees Celsius if given a direct flame contact.  

A regular residential stove top can heat up anywhere between 200 and 500 degrees Celsius, therefore, it is not difficult to start a fire while cooking. Because of this, it is imperative to keep watch over what you are cooking and to not leave the kitchen unattended while you are cooking. 

Grease fires are the number 1 fire starters in kitchens. There are a high percentage rate for kitchen/cooking fire in the United States.  If you have a small grease fire that hasn’t gotten out of control, you can attempt to put it out. 

Here are a few tips you can use to put out a grease fire. 

• If you can turn the heat source off that is the most important thing you can do. 

• Use a cooking sheet or metal lid for your pot and cover the fire. This will smother the fire and not let oxygen to the fire which will then cause the fire to burn out. 
• You may have some baking soda. You can put baking soda on a smaller grease fire that is in a pot or pan.  The baking soda cuts off the oxygen supply to the fire and will put it out.  Keep in mind baking soda will only work on a small fire.  Do not use any other baking product like flour to put out a fire- it does not work the same way as baking soda and will not assist in putting out a fire. 
• You as a home owner/ renter should always have a chemical fire extinguisher in your kitchen.  Yes, these extinguishers make a mess when discharged however they will get the fire out.

If you have a grease fire, DO NOT do the following:

• 

  Kitchen grease fire in Pensacola, FL home

  Do NOT throw water on the grease fire! Fire and grease do not mix.  Water is heavier then grease/ oil and will sink to the bottom of the pot or pan immediately, but will then will heat up and evaporate pushing back up through the oil and grease fire and causing it to splatter out of the pan.  This can possibly ignite another fire! 
•  Do NOT try to swat the fire out with a towel.  You may catch the towel on fire or push the flames towards another object that can catch fire easily. 
• Do NOT put your life in jeopardy to extinguish a fire. Call 911 and evacuate the home immediately. Always remember, property and your home are replaceable, while a life is not. 

Fire Fighters in Pensacola, FL ! Do not attempt to extinguish a house fire alone. Please call 911

You will not get in trouble for having a fire. Although the fire department doesn't want to come extinguish fires at your residence, we are happy to do our jobs and save as much of your property as possible. 

There is no fine assessed or fee involved for a legitimate call to the fire station. 

Escambia County Fire Rescue Engine at work in Pensacola, FL

Also note, fire also has a good way of getting through crack and holes in the cabinets and through the ventilation system above ovens.  If you have a fire that you have extinguished, it is still a good idea to call 911.  The fire department will come out and investigate the house for any fire extensions in the cabinets and in the attic space.

Thanks to our friend Lieutenant Kerner Kafka with Escambia County Fire Rescue Engine #1 for this educational article on Pensacola area Fire Safety. We also want to thank the brave men and woman (many of whom are dedicated volunteers) for their hard work! Thank you so much for keeping our families safe. 

Be safe please! 

Nicole St. Aubin, Broker Associate
Realty Masters of FL~ #1 in Pensacola Property Management
4400 Bayou Blvd. #58B, Pensacola, FL 32503
Call us at (850) 473-3983
Over 45 Pensacola Rental Homes at www.PensacolaRealtyMasters.com

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