There’s No Such Thing as a Romantic Grease Fire

You may have a burning love this week thanks to Valentine’s Day, but what you don’t want is a burning kitchen!

While many couples will be venturing out to celebrate the holiday at a fancy restaurant, it’s becoming more common for lovebirds to stay at home and prepare a special meal for the occasion. In fact, romance experts will tell you that preparing a meal with your loved one is a fantastic way to increase your bond and feel more connected to each other.

But just because you choose to cook together – either for the holiday or later down the road – doesn’t mean you want to deal with a grease fire together. So, here are some tips to avoid that:

Pay Attention

This sounds like an easy thing to do, but there are always things going on in our household that can quickly grab our attention, especially if there are kids running around. Or perhaps your significant other is feeling more amorous than usual on the holiday and is vying for your attention by getting a little smooch. You don’t have to stare at the food every single second, but if you do take your eyes off it, be sure that you stay close so that you can stop a potential grease fire.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Potential Fire

Grease has what you might call a “tell.” Before it actually ignites, it will begin to smoke like crazy. If a plume of smoke suddenly appears, you may only have seconds before a fire starts. So, spring into action immediately and remove the pot or pan from heat. The threat of a fire breaking out will quickly subside from there.

Keep an Extinguisher Handy

Your home should have at least three fire extinguishers – one in the kitchen, one in the garage, and one in the main living area. The one in the kitchen should be close enough for you to grab in a pinch, but not so close to the stove that you might have trouble getting to it when a fire starts up. You also want to be sure that the extinguisher is in good working order. Most units will last anywhere from 5-15 years, but if you’ve forgotten how old it is, checking is simple – once a month, check the pressure gauge. If it’s in the green, the extinguisher is functional.

Remove Combustible Items from the Area

As logic tells us, fires spread more quickly when there are combustible items nearby, turning a small grease fire into a potential catastrophe. This one has an easy fix, though. All you gotta do is keep items like paper towels, cloth towels, and cookbooks away. This includes any flowers that your loved one may have brought home for Valentine’s Day – you can view her gift from afar, Romeo.

Smother It!

You’ve probably had this beaten into your head from when you were a child, but if a grease fire (or any fire, for that matter) breaks out, panic can set in. So, say it with us – do not throw water on a grease fire! While it may sound odd, this will make the fire worse. This happens because when water hits burning oil, it almost instantly vaporizes into steam. This, in turn, oxygenates the oil and causes a large flame to erupt. So, if you have a grease fire, grab an oven mitt and smother the fire with a lid.

Even when you take all sorts of precautions, accidents can and do happen. If you’ve experienced fire damage or any other sort of disaster, please reach out to Abbotts Fire & Flood. We are available 365 days a week all day and night to take your call and get your home or business back on the road to recovery.