Fire safety in the kitchen
The kitchen presents many fire hazards due to the high number of electrical appliances and the high temperatures. More than 30% of fires reported in 2020 had an electrical cause¹. Every fifth apartment fire originates on the stove².
The greatest danger in kitchens comes from grease fires. A grease fire occurs when cooking fat or oil heats up above its burning point and ignites itself. They are particularly dangerous because, in an emergency, people often instinctively extinguish them with water. A fatal decision, since extinguishing a grease fire with water leads to a highly dangerous grease explosion.
Good to know:
If you extinguish hot fat with water, the water heats up and evaporates abruptly. In this way, more than 1,700 liters of steam are created from 1 liter of water in just a few seconds.
The water vapor explosively tears the burning fat out of the pot or pan and breaks it up into very fine droplets. These droplets ignite themselves, their surroundings and other fat. As a result, a kitchen fire develops within a very short time.
Extinguish grease fire
A grease fire should never be extinguished with water.
In case of burning fat or oil, first cut off the oxygen supply. To do this, the lid can be placed on the pot, pan or deep fryer. Subsequently, the pot or pan should be removed from the stove to cool down and the stove top turned off. If the fire does not go out or has already spread to the kitchen counter, everyone should get to safety and the fire department should be alerted.
Important:
A fire blanket is not suitable for extinguishing a grease fire. As an alternative, grease fire extinguishers are recommended, which are also mandatory in companies.
Fire safety in the kitchen
In addition to the stove, small and large electrical appliances, the oven and the extractor hood are among the greatest sources of danger in the kitchen.
Thus, in addition to the correct behavior in the event of a grease fire, there are other rules for fire protection in the kitchen that must be observed in order to avoid a kitchen fire:
- Electrical appliances must always be switched off.
Electrical appliances that are switched on, such as toasters or microwaves, must be placed on a non-flammable surface.
Filters of extractor hoods must be replaced regularly to avoid ignition of grease residues.
Do not use the hob and the surrounding area as a storage surface.
Never leave a switched-on stove unattended.
Important: A stove that is turned on can ignite a grocery bag, cookbook or cutting board in a matter of minutes and cause a kitchen fire.
Do you still have questions about "Extinguishing grease fires" and "Fire protection in the kitchen"?
¹Institut für Schadenverhütung und Schadenforschung der öffentlichen Versicherer e.V (2021): Ursachenstatistik, Brandschäden 2020; https://www.ifs-ev.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/brandursachenstatistik_2020_seite.pdf
²Institut für Schadenverhütung und Schadenforschung der öffentlichen Versicherer e.V (2020): Der Herd ist keine Ablagefläche; https://www.ifs-ev.org/der-herd-ist-keine-ablageflaeche/