Behind the Fryer Series
A grease fire is one of the most dangerous emergencies that can occur in a commercial kitchen. Whether you operate a restaurant, bar, food truck, hotel kitchen, school cafeteria, nursing home, or catering business, knowing how to respond quickly can prevent injuries, equipment damage, and devastating property loss.
Grease fires can grow in seconds, but a well-trained staff and the right response can make all the difference. Every commercial kitchen should have a fire response plan, regularly inspect its fire suppression equipment, and ensure employees know exactly what to do if flames suddenly appear.
How Grease Fires Start
Grease fires usually begin when cooking oils or fats become overheated and ignite. Some of the most common causes include:
- Fryer oil overheating
- Grease dripping onto charbroilers
- Cooking oil left unattended
- Dirty fryers and cooking equipment
- Grease accumulation inside hood systems
- Failure to clean grease trays and filters
Once grease ignites, the fire can spread rapidly if not handled correctly.
Step 1: Turn Off the Heat
If it is safe to do so, immediately turn off the burner, fryer, grill, or cooking equipment.
Removing the heat source helps prevent additional grease from feeding the fire.
Never reach through large flames to turn off equipment if doing so could result in burns.
Step 2: Cover the Fire
If the fire is still small and contained inside a pan, carefully slide a metal lid, cookie sheet, or sheet pan over the flames.
This cuts off the oxygen supply and helps smother the fire.
Leave the lid in place until everything has completely cooled. Removing it too soon may allow the fire to reignite.
Step 3: Use a Class K Fire Extinguisher
Every commercial kitchen should have an inspected and properly maintained Class K fire extinguisher within easy reach.
Class K extinguishers are specifically designed to suppress fires involving cooking oils and animal fats.
Restaurant employees should know:
- Where extinguishers are located
- How to operate them
- When it is no longer safe to fight the fire
Regular fire safety training can save lives.
If a Fire Extinguisher Isn’t Immediately Available
If the grease fire is very small, still contained in the cooking vessel, and a Class K fire extinguisher is not immediately available, large amounts of baking soda may help smother the flames.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) releases carbon dioxide when exposed to high temperatures, helping reduce the oxygen feeding a small grease fire.
This should only be used on small, contained fires.
If the fire is spreading or growing rapidly, evacuate immediately and call 911.
Never Use These on a Grease Fire
Many people instinctively grab the wrong item during a grease fire. Unfortunately, using the wrong material can make the fire much worse.
❌ Never Use Water
Water is the most dangerous mistake.
When water hits burning grease, it instantly turns into steam, violently launching burning oil across the kitchen. The fire can spread within seconds and cause severe burns.
Never pour water on a grease fire.
❌ Never Use Flour
Although it looks similar to baking soda, flour is highly combustible.
Instead of putting the fire out, flour can ignite and make the flames much larger. In some cases, airborne flour can even create a flash fire.
❌ Never Use Sugar
Sugar melts and burns when exposed to high temperatures.
Throwing sugar onto a grease fire simply adds more fuel and increases the intensity of the flames.
❌ Never Use Baking Powder
Baking powder is not baking soda.
It contains additional ingredients that make it ineffective for extinguishing grease fires. Only plain baking soda should ever be considered as an emergency option for a very small, contained grease fire.
❌ Never Use Wet Towels
Some people try to throw a wet towel over burning grease.
This creates the same dangerous reaction as pouring water directly onto the fire. The moisture rapidly turns into steam, causing burning grease to splatter across the kitchen.
❌ Never Use Dish Towels or Aprons
Dry towels, aprons, oven mitts, or cloths can easily catch fire themselves, adding even more fuel to the flames.
❌ Never Use Glass Lids
Glass lids can crack or shatter under the intense heat of a grease fire.
Always use a metal lid, sheet pan, or cookie sheet if you need to cover a small pan fire.
Know When It’s Time to Evacuate
If the fire:
- Continues growing
- Spreads beyond the cooking equipment
- Reaches cabinets or the hood
- Produces heavy smoke
- Cannot be safely controlled within seconds
everyone should evacuate immediately.
Close doors behind you if possible, call 911, and never re-enter the building until firefighters declare it safe.
No meal or piece of equipment is worth risking a life.
Preventing Grease Fires Before They Start
The safest grease fire is the one that never happens.
Restaurants can dramatically reduce their risk by:
- Cleaning hood systems on a regular schedule
- Filtering fryer oil throughout the day
- Cleaning charbroilers and grease trays daily
- Replacing dirty hood filters
- Never leaving hot oil unattended
- Keeping fire suppression systems inspected
- Ensuring Class K fire extinguishers are easily accessible
- Training all employees on fire response procedures
Professional hood cleaning also removes grease from ductwork and exhaust fans, helping reduce the chance that a small cooking fire spreads into the ventilation system.
Final Thoughts
Grease fires happen fast, but preparation is the best defense. Every commercial kitchen should have employees who know how to react calmly, use the proper equipment, and recognize when it’s time to evacuate.
Remember these key safety points:
- ✅ Turn off the heat if it is safe to do so.
- ✅ Cover small fires with a metal lid or sheet pan.
- ✅ Use a Class K fire extinguisher whenever possible.
- ✅ If a Class K extinguisher is not immediately available, plain baking soda may help smother a small, contained grease fire.
- ❌ Never use water, flour, sugar, baking powder, wet towels, cloth towels, or glass lids.
At Affordable Hood Cleaning & Power Washing, we believe that fire prevention starts long before an emergency occurs. Regular hood cleaning, proper grease management, employee training, and routine maintenance all work together to create a safer commercial kitchen for your staff, your customers, and your business. 🔥🧯