The other day, team member Kat Sacks walked into the Epi Test Kitchen to find a recipe tester face-to-face with a burning question. That question was "HOW DO I STOP THIS SUDDEN GREASE FIRE FROM SPREADING?!"
Quick-thinking Kat, employing knowledge she'd garnered from her days working the line in restaurants, grabbed a metal lid and threw it on top of the flaming pot. The growing fire, triggered when bacon grease on the outside of the pan made contact with the gas range, was instantly squelched. Thinking nothing of her heroics, Kat continued with her day as if nothing had happened.
As Smokey the Bear would doubtless have lectured that recipe tester, prevention is the best defense when it comes to fire. Whenever grease goes beyond the smoke point, it's liable to catch fire, whether it's on the bottom of a pan, in a pot, or on the stovetop. So remember: after pouring out the excess grease or oil from a pan—which so many recipes instruct you to do before continuing with your recipe—use a kitchen towel to wipe the grease from the edge and bottom of the pan. And if you're making a recipe that spits and sputters a lot, like fried chicken, take a break between batches to turn off the heat and quickly wipe the bottom of the pan and the stovetop with a moist sponge.
It's these little dribbles of grease that, ignited by the flame of a gas stove (or burning iron of electric), first catch fire—a fire which quickly trails into the pan and sets the remaining grease ablaze. And without Kat around to calmly swoop in and smother that fire, you might panic when the flames start. Here's how to put out a grease fire in a flash:
NEVER TRY TO PUT OUT A GREASE FIRE WITH WATER
Splashing water into a grease fire will only send the burning oil flying. This will not help your situation.
Cover the fire with a large metal lid
Sliding a lid over the pot or pan will depriving the fire of oxygen and snuff it out quickly. Be sure to only use a metal lid in these instances. A glass one could shatter in the heat. Once you've extinguished the flames, leave the lid on the pot or pan for several hours to allow everything to cool down.
If there's no lid nearby, douse the fire with plenty of salt or baking soda
Salt will smother the fire almost as well as covering it with a lid, while baking soda chemically extinguishes it. But you'll need a lot of each--toss on handfuls with abandon until the flame subsides. Avoid using flour or baking powder, which can explode in the flames instead of snuffing them out.
Turn off the heat source if possible
Sounds obvious, but it's often the last thing we think of when the clear and present danger is fire. After you've deployed the lid (or salt or baking soda) be sure to shut off the flame or electric range to help diminish the fire and prevent it from spreading.
As a last resort, use a fire extinguisher
Spraying your kitchen with chemicals means plenty of clean-up afterwards, but it's better than burning the house down. Aim a Class B fire extinguisher (the best type for kitchen fires) at the base of the fire, and follow manufacturer's instructions for releasing the spray.
That said, these suggestions are merely theoretical, right? I mean, since we now all know to wipe the bottoms of our pans to keep them free of grease dribbles, we'll never have to worry about stopping grease fires again.
Well, in case you do at least you'll have a few go-to tactics at the ready. Just remember: If these fail to work or the fire grows beyond your control, don't be a hero. Get out of the house and call 911 from a neighbor's phone if you don't have yours in your pocket. And maybe order in pizza instead.
