If you can't safely put the lid on a flaming pan or you don't have a lid, what should you do?

If you can't safely put the lid on a flaming pan or you don't have a lid, what should you do?

• A. Use a wet cloth to cover the pan.
• B. Use your fire extinguisher; aim at the base of the fire — not the flames.
• C. Throw baking soda on the flames.
• D. Run the pan under water.

Answer: (B)

When a pan with hot oil is flaming and you can’t safely cover it, the right move is to use a fire extinguisher designed for cooking fires and aim at the base of the fire. Hitting the base is crucial because you want the extinguishing agent to reach the fuel source itself, not just the flames. Sweeping from side to side after you’ve aimed helps blanket the oil and cool or smother the fire, interrupting the chemical reaction fueling it. Avoid trying to smother with a wet cloth—steam and splatter can burn you, and it won’t reliably extinguish a grease fire. Pouring water on hot oil is dangerous because oil and water don’t mix: the water can explode into tiny droplets and fling burning oil everywhere, making the fire worse. Baking soda isn’t a guaranteed or quick fix for a larger pan fire either. If the fire is spreading or you can’t reach it safely, evacuate and call emergency services.

When a pan with hot oil is flaming and you can’t safely cover it, the right move is to use a fire extinguisher designed for cooking fires and aim at the base of the fire. Hitting the base is crucial because you want the extinguishing agent to reach the fuel source itself, not just the flames. Sweeping from side to side after you’ve aimed helps blanket the oil and cool or smother the fire, interrupting the chemical reaction fueling it.

Avoid trying to smother with a wet cloth—steam and splatter can burn you, and it won’t reliably extinguish a grease fire. Pouring water on hot oil is dangerous because oil and water don’t mix: the water can explode into tiny droplets and fling burning oil everywhere, making the fire worse. Baking soda isn’t a guaranteed or quick fix for a larger pan fire either.

If the fire is spreading or you can’t reach it safely, evacuate and call emergency services.