The dedicated team at Restore-It Restoration & Cleaning is committed to providing fast, thorough fire damage restoration. The trusted restoration professionals understand the stress, disruption, and inconvenience caused by a house fire, and they strive to provide a rapid response that reduces the cost and duration of the project.
How to Prevent a Grease Fire in the Kitchen
Family gatherings and food are a common combination in El Dorado, AR. The inseparable duo brings joy to the participants and delights the taste buds. Planning and preparing a meal can be a recipe for stress and anxiety, and a misstep in following a recipe can lead to a culinary catastrophe. Add a grease fire to the mix, and it spells disaster.
Oil is essential in food preparation, but when overheated, oil can also catch fire and destroy a home. Dealing with a grease fire is an unnerving event. A grease fire will break out while cooking when oil becomes too hot and bursts into flames. When the flashpoint of the grease is exceeded, the contents ignite. The pan suddenly bursts into flames without warning.
Cooking fires are a leading cause of house fires. The National Fire Protection Association offers the following statistics in a 2021 report: “In 2015–2019, 46 percent of the home structure fires and 55 percent of the home structure fire deaths occurred in the five-month span from November to March. The number of reported home fires peaked from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., when many people are coming home from work, preparing dinner, or engaging in other household activities.”
In light of the frequency of home cooking fires, here are some tips to help prevent grease fires in the kitchen.
Tip #1: Never leave a pan unattended.
The art of cooking requires an extensive skill set and the ability to multitask. A delicious meal is enjoyable and greatly appreciated by family and guests who only see four or five dishes on the table. The many steps required to prepare the meal often go unseen. During the process of cooking the meal, distractions such as a phone call, children, pets, a knock at the door, or an unexpected virtual meeting clamor for the cook’s attention. Seconds spent away from the stove can easily become minutes. The shrill siren of the smoke alarm interrupts the scene to remind the cook a hot pan of grease is on the stove. Hopefully, only smoke and not fire activated the alarm.
Tip #2: Constantly monitor the pot or pan with the hot grease for signs of temperature fluctuations.
If a pan of grease becomes too hot, it will give the cook a warning sign – smoke. Cooking oils have both a flashpoint and a smoke point. The flashpoint for grease is around 600 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the oil begins to give off vapors that are highly flammable and can burst into flames at any moment. However, at about 450 degrees Fahrenheit, grease reaches its smoke point and will give off smoke. Smoke warns the cook that the pan is too hot and can soon burst into flames if the temperature continues to rise.
Tip #3: Know the smoke point and flashpoint of the cooking oils used in the cooking process.
If a recipe is to be cooked at a temperature higher than the oil’s smoke point or flash point, consider using a different oil with a higher threshold.
Common cooking oil smoke points:
- Canola oil: 435 degrees Fahrenheit
- Corn oil, olive oil, sesame seed oil: 410 degrees Fahrenheit
- Sunflower oil: 390 degrees Fahrenheit
Tip #4: If the pan begins to smoke, remove the pan from the stovetop.
Allow the pan to cool before continuing the cooking process. Lower the cooking temperature to ensure a safe outcome. Pay close attention to the pan until the item is fully cooked.
Tip #5: Practice routine cleaning and maintenance.
A key to preventing grease fires is to remove debris and grease buildup from the drip pans, burners, and stovetop after each meal preparation. A clean stove is a safer stove.
In the event of fire damage in El Dorado, AR, or the surrounding area, trust the professionals at Restore-It Restoration & Cleaning with the restoration project. They provide the customer with a professional fire assessment. One of their dedicated fire damage specialists will meet with the client to discuss the fire and develop a plan of action. The team will quickly and professionally restore the home or business to its pre-fire conditions, including the eradication of the pervasive soot and smoke odor caused by the fire.
For more information about El Dorado, AR, fire damage restoration, contact Restore-It Restoration and Cleaning by phone at (870) 417-4614.
