The Key To Preventing Grease Fires Is To Know Your Ingredients
The primary culprit for grease fires is leaving a pan unattended when cooking. The number one rule for grease fires is that whatever you do, do NOT throw water on the fire. A good fire extinguisher that is rated for grease fires is a great tool to add to your first line of defense.The best way to prevent grease fires is to stop them from happening in the first place by keeping a close eye on stovetop pots and pans.
warning! what you need to know about grease fires
Grease fires are unfortunately an all too common danger in the cooking, and especially the barbecue, and live fire outdoor kitchen environment. Meats marbled with fat, and poultry dripping oil directly on to an open flame can cause real problems for the apathetic pit master. When you set out to grill use extra caution with high fat content meats like ground beef, sausages and skin on meats like chicken and pork.
Of course you should never leave any open flame unattended. It takes mere moments for flare ups to run out of control. By the time you walk inside the house to get a beverage in the refrigerator you could have a blaze on the kettle grill.
First, if you expect dripping oil or any pooling grease at all consider using a drip pan and an indirect heat source (off set flame or coals) before you cook.
Place a sturdy aluminum pan filled with water (juice or beer may be nice) under the grate beneath the meat or drips. This will avoid major flare ups and protect succulent meats from over cooking. Indirect heat like this is usually desired for cuts thicker than the palm of your hand. Check more here.
Preventing grease fires is easy as long as you stay in the kitchen while cooking and take a few simple safety measures.
What’s the Best Way to Safely Put Out a Grease Fire?
I recently had a grease fire. The pan caught on fire after a little fat spilled over the skillet. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Is there a safe, quick way to put out a fire like this?Steps to put out a grease fire:
- Turn off source of heat (burner / element).
- Do NOT pour water on it.
- Let me say that again, DO NOT pour water on it.
- Attempt to remove all oxygen from the flame. You can cover with another pot, or baking pan.
- If you can’t cover it, dump baking soda (lots of it) on it.
The Navy Way
For home cooking, this is the right answer. For anything bigger, you want a Halon extinguisher (preferably an automatic one) or some Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). It’s amazing what you learn in the Navy, isn’t it?
Salt
I had a grease fire years ago while using my first electric stove. I dumped most of a box of baking soda on it with no visible effect. My wife ran in and hit it with a Halon fire extinguisher, which actually spread the grease and fire against the wall behind the stove! Read more here.
However, as long as the cooking equipment is supervised and used with caution, preventing grease fires is simple.
How To Prevent Grease Fires
When it comes to the grill, safety is No.1 and the most important thing to keep in mind. There has been much advancement over the decades to enhance the grilling experience; those that give you unparalleled performance, and those that keep you safe when using raw energy that comes from mixing fuel and flame. Proper maintenance on your grill goes a long way, and will keep your grill working smoothly. In this article we will look at some important maintenance tips, and how to prepare in the event of an emergency.
Grease Fires And How to Prevent Them
1. Clean-Up
The first tip to preventing grease fires and flare-ups is to clean your grill. Every grill has a drip pan and tray under its cooking grids and burners. When they become too full, and when the oil or grease has reached its maximum temperature, grease fires occur. These pans and trays are removable and should be checked on weekly. If you’re a frequent user of the grill, then check twice.
How to Do it:
- When grill is OFF and preferably cool, slide the drip pan out of your grill.
- Scrape off grease and dried debris, and dispose it.
- Under warm water, soak and rinse the drip pan. For a deeper clean, use a small amount of mild soap and a non-abrasive cloth; make sure you rinse well! See full article here.
Grease Fires Are Especially Dangerous If Not Handled Properly
In addition to these tips, it is also a good practice to be mindful of times grease fires are more likely to occur. Grease fires are some of the most common types of fires that occur in the kitchen. Grease fires are extremely hot and spread quickly; they’re also fueled by a liquid, so splashing a la napalm is highly possible.
Grease fires are a rare and unexpected phenomenon and can happen to any griller on any grill, advanced or novice. Preventing grease fires are one of the easiest things we can do to keep our family safe, call us here: (888) 556-8121. Grease fires are especially dangerous because the hot oil is combustible and the fire can quickly get out of hand.
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