First Steps in Dealing With a Kitchen Fire in Your Restaurant

11/20/2018 (Permalink)

Kitchen fires can happen fast with very little warning. If one starts in your restaurant, you will need to act fast to keep the fire from getting out of control and causing fire damage and smoke damage to your property. Here are a few tips on the first steps to take in dealing with a restaurant kitchen fire:

• If the fire is in an oven, close the door immediately and turn off the oven, leaving the door closed. Lack of oxygen will suffocate the flames.
• If the oven continues to smoke and you think the fire may still be going, call the fire department right away.
• When it is a fire in a cooking pan or pot, use your oven mitt to put the lid on right away and move it off the burner and away from the source of heat. Turn off the stove and wait for the lack of oxygen to stop the flames inside your pot.
• If you are not able to safely put the lid on the flaming pan, or if there is no lid readily available, use a fire extinguisher. Remember to always aim at the base of the fire, not the flames themselves.
• Never use water to put out a grease fire. Water repels grease and can spread the fire by splattering the grease. Try one of these alternative methods:
• If the fire is small, put on the lid and turn off the burner.
• Throw a healthy amount of baking soda on it. Do not use flour. Flour can explode or make the fire even worse.
• Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large, wet cloth by laying the wet cloth on the fire itself. Swatting the flames with a towel or other material, however, may fan the flames and spread the fire.
• Use a fire extinguisher. Every restaurant kitchen should have several fire extinguishers on hand for quick and easy access in case of fire damage.
• If the fire is spreading and you don’t have control, get every person out of the premises and call 911 immediately.

For cleanup after any type of fire, the team at  SERVPRO of Belle Meade / West Nashville is always ready to help. We are experts in cleanups of all sizes, and mold remediation is our specialty.