How to put out a grease fire
If oil in your frying pan catches fire, never use water. Turn off the burner if you can reach it safely, then slide a metal lid or a baking sheet over the pan and leave it covered until it is completely cool. For a very small fire, baking soda can smother it. If the flames spread beyond the pan, get out, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside.
Why it matters: Water makes a grease fire explode; the lid is the tool.
Steps
- Keep a lid that fits your frying pan within reach every time you fry.
- If the oil catches fire, turn off the burner if you can do it without reaching over the flames.
- Slide the lid or a baking sheet over the pan from the side, not from above.
- Leave it covered and do not lift the lid to check until it has cooled completely.
- For a very small fire, pour on plenty of baking soda; never flour or sugar.
- Use a kitchen-rated fire extinguisher only if you know how and have a clear exit.
- If flames spread beyond the pan, get everyone out, close the door, and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, from outside.
Stop and call a professional if
- the fire spreads past the pan, the cabinets catch, or smoke fills the room: leave, close the door and call your local emergency number from outside
- anyone is burned: cool the burn and follow the burn guide, and call for help for anything large or deep
Common mistakes
- Throwing water on burning oil, which makes it flare violently.
- Carrying the burning pan to the sink or outside.
- Lifting the lid too soon, which lets the fire restart.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to put out a grease fire
What to say
If oil in your frying pan catches fire, never use water. Turn off the burner if you can reach it safely, then slide a metal lid or a baking sheet over the pan and leave it covered until it is completely cool. For a very small fire, baking soda can smother it. If the flames spread beyond the pan, get out, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside.
What to show
- Keep a lid that fits your frying pan within reach every time you fry.
- If the oil catches fire, turn off the burner if you can do it without reaching over the flames.
- Slide the lid or a baking sheet over the pan from the side, not from above.
- Leave it covered and do not lift the lid to check until it has cooled completely.
- For a very small fire, pour on plenty of baking soda; never flour or sugar.
- Use a kitchen-rated fire extinguisher only if you know how and have a clear exit.
- If flames spread beyond the pan, get everyone out, close the door, and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, from outside.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if the fire spreads past the pan, the cabinets catch, or smoke fills the room: leave, close the door and call your local emergency number from outside.
Check question
What should you never put on a grease fire?
Answer: Water. Water makes burning oil explode outward.
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Related skills
Sources
- US national fire protection guidance on cooking fires, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .