| The three primary sources of oil fires include leaving cooking oil unattended, pouring hot oil into a pan and splattering oil onto stoves or other heat sources.
1) Leaving Cooking Oil Unattended: The leading cause behind most kitchen fires is leaving cooking oil unattended. When heating up oil, especially on high heat settings, temperatures can rapidly rise. If the temperature becomes too high, it can ignite and result in an oil fire.
2) Pouring oil into a hot pan: When the pan's temperature is already high, adding oil can create a significant difference in temperature. This temperature disparity can cause the oil to splatter, leading to an instant fire. To prevent this, it is recommended to gradually heat the pan along with the oil, rather than pouring cold oil into a hot pan. This way, both the oil and pan will heat up simultaneously at a controlled pace, reducing the chances of splattering or ignition.
3) Splattered drops of hot oil come into contact with stoves or other heat sources: Cooking often involves using high temperatures that can lead to splattering of hot oil, especially during frying. If these splattered drops land on a heat source like an open flame on a stove, they have the potential to ignite and result in a fire. To minimize this risk, it's advisable to use lids or splash guards while cooking with oil.
Also, make sure to keep the heat at a lower level to minimize splattering.
And lastly, never use water to extinguish a grease/oil fire. This will make the fire worse and spread it to other areas of the kitchen! |
