How to Safely Put Out a Grease Fire

You may have heard the saying “A watched pot never boils.” But in truth, the real danger lies in the opposite: not paying attention. Kitchen accidents, especially on the stovetop, are more common than you might think—and knowing how to put out a grease fire could save your home and your life.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries. Between 2017 and 2021, cooking accounted for 44% of reported home fires, 18% of home fire deaths and 40% of home fire injuries. Most of these stemmed from unattended frying. Even more alarming, more than half of the civilians injured during cooking-related fires were hurt while attempting to extinguish the flames themselves.

We spoke with Van Riviere, a former fire battalion chief, and David Hall, director of facilities management at Missouri State University and a firefighting instructor, to discuss the safest ways to handle a grease fire. Keep reading to learn their tips for extinguishing a grease fire, what not to do when putting out a home fire and how to prevent a fire from happening in the first place.

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At what temperature does grease catch fire?

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Don’t leave food unattended while cooking. Doing so is a fire hazard and one of the two primary causes of grease fires, according to Riviere.

The other main cause? The introduction of food or water into hot oil, which can cause the oil to overflow onto an active heating element, potentially resulting in a fire. In other words, if the oil splashes onto your open flame, you could have a fire on your hands.

And here’s a terrifying fact: If cooking oil gets hot enough, it can catch fire without you doing a thing. How hot is dangerously hot? Riviere cites research conducted by the University of Maryland’s department of Fire Protection Engineering. In the paper, the authors identify temperature ranges at which cooking oil will autoignite, using experimental procedures designed to test the autoignition temperatures of liquid cooking oils, butter and margarine.

They found that the temps at which cooking oil catches fire depend on the type of oil or fat (like butter) you’re cooking. The chart below, which lists the autoignition points for various fats, is a good guide.

Need more motivation to keep a close eye on your stovetop? According to a 2018 study published in the Journal of Fire Sciences, it can take as little as 18 minutes for hot cooking oil to autoignite. That’s motivation enough to learn how to stop a grease fire.

How to put out a grease fire

Snuffing out a grease fire boils down to a few simple but safe and effective steps, explains Riviere. Ready, set, stop that fire!

1. Turn off the burner.
2. Keep the pan in place. If you have a fire, your first instinct might be to move the pan. But Riviere says that’s a huge mistake. “Do not attempt to move the pan,” he says. “This will spread the fire throughout the room and likely result in injury.” A lid, however, will rob the fire of the oxygen it needs to grow. (This is also why it’s smart to keep your microwave door shut if there’s a fire inside.)
3. Place a lid over the pan. It’s such an important step, says Riviere, that you should always keep a lid next to the pan while you’re cooking.
4. Let the lid smother the fire. Do not remove the lid until the pan is cool. “The fire may rekindle or grow very rapidly,” he says.
5. If the fire does not extinguish, evacuate everyone from the house and call 911 from a safe location outside.

There are a few other ways to put out a fire if you don’t have a lid for your pan. Try these tricks:

• Fire extinguisher: Riviere suggests using a Class B fire extinguisher to put out the oil fire if you don’t have a lid for the pan. It’ll make a mess and contaminate your kitchen, but it’ll stop the burn.
• Baking soda or salt: Yes, pouring baking soda or salt on a small grease fire will snuff it out, says Hall. Just double-check that you’re using the right items. Similar-looking ingredients—including flour and baking powder—can actually make the fire worse. And know that this isn’t a solution for larger grease fires.

How not to put out a grease fire

The last thing you want is to turn a small pan fire into an all-out house fire, so avoid using the items below. Instead of helping, they could actually make the fire worse.

• Water: Your gut reaction may be to toss a whole lot of water on the flames, but that’s not the solution for grease fires. Pour water on the fire, and the oil could splash, causing the fire to further spread.
• Flour and sugar: “Both are combustible and will cause the fire to grow rapidly,” Riviere says.
• Towels: Both wet and dry towels are big no-nos when it comes to grease fires. “They will not extinguish the fire and have the potential to spread the fire throughout the room,” he adds.

How to prevent grease fires

Knowing how to put out a grease fire is crucial, but prevention is really the first step. Riviere has a few tips to keep a potential fire at bay.

• Don’t listen to the famous pot-watching proverb. One of the biggest mistakes people make in the kitchen is not paying attention as food is cooking. “Never leave cooking unattended,” says Riviere.
• Pace yourself when it comes to heating up cooking oils. “Always heat grease or oil gradually to avoid heating to the point of combustion,” he says.
• Do not introduce water or ice to hot oil under any circumstances, as this can cause the oil to ignite a fire.
• Add food carefully to avoid spilling grease or oil onto an open flame or hot burner, Riviere says.
• Clean your stovetop. If yours is covered in spilled oil, a small grease fire can quickly get out of hand.

FAQs

Can you put out a grease fire with baking soda?

Yes—baking soda (or salt) can extinguish a small grease fire. Just make sure you don’t mistake it for flour or baking powder, as those can exacerbate the flames.

Why can’t you use water on a grease fire?

Water makes hot oil splatter violently, which can spread flames across your stove and kitchen. Hence, it’s best to avoid putting out the grease fire with water. Instead, use baking soda or salt to douse it.

What type of fire extinguisher should I use for a grease fire?

Use a Class B fire extinguisher, which is specifically designed for flammable liquids such as oil and grease.

How do most grease fires start?

Unattended cooking, overheated oil and adding water or wet food to hot oil are the most common causes of grease fires. Avoiding these will help prevent a grease fire from beginning.

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Sources:

• National Fire Protection Association: “Home Cooking Fires”
• University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering: “Auto-Ignition of Cooking Oils”
• Journal of Fire Sciences: “Characterization of Stovetop Cooking Oil Fires”
• Van Riviere, chief operating officer of Perimeter
• David Hall, director of facilities management at Missouri State University and former fire chief in Springfield, Missouri

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