Show A step-by-step look at how to extinguish a grease fire to share with your community A generous thank you to Captain Jeremy Francis and Firefighter Steven Malzachar from the Bismarck (North Dakota) Fire Department and Fire Chief Steve Nardello from the Mandan (North Dakota) Fire Department for their contributions to this article. By Rikki Roehrich Cooking causes over 172,000 home structure fires annually, and is considered the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. Specifically, cooking caused 49% of reported home fires, 20% of reported home fire deaths and 42% of home fire injuries. Often, these fires are ignited by grease. Knowing how to respond quickly could be the difference between a minor kitchen fire and a devastating disaster. In an effort to keep your home and community safe, please share these grease fire tips with friends and family. Thanksgiving and the day before Thanksgiving are the two peak days for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas and Christmas Eve. (Photo/Getty) 4 steps to putting out a grease fire
Additional tips:
It’s also important to remember that three out of five non-fatal home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victim tried to fight the fire themselves. The most common injuries sustained were burns to the hands and lower arms. If you are unable to extinguish the grease fire:
While it is important to remember these steps in order to take appropriate action during a grease fire, it’s equally important to take actions to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Tips to prevent grease fires
In addition to these tips, it is also a good practice to be mindful of times grease fires are more likely to occur. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by the day before Thanksgiving and then Christmas and Christmas Eve. On a regular day, the most common time to experience a grease fire is between 5-7 p.m., followed by 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. By using proper cooking techniques and best practices, frying with grease or oil should pose a relatively small risk. Still, it’s always good to keep this information nearby in the event you do experience a grease fire. A quick and proper reaction will minimize any damage as well as prevent injury and death. Next, read about how to put out an electrical fire in five steps. This article, originally published on March 21, 2017, has been updated. About the AuthorRikki Roehrich is a writer and program manager. She has a master’s of the arts communication and media studies and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and media studies from California State University-Sacramento. Connect with Roehrick on LinkedIn.
Recommended for youJoin the discussion
FireRescue1 Top 5
|