Maggie's Farm

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Thursday, November 1. 2007

A Public Service Message: Kitchen Oil Fires

Posted by Opie in Food and Drink at 13:06 | Comments (11) | Trackback (1)

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I noticed the fella getting the damp rag and placing it over the grease fire had on fire gear, a face mask,helmet, and kept a good distance from the pan.

Should we do the same? I mean with the clothing etc?
#1 Habu on 2007-11-01 13:17 (Reply)
Wiseacre!
#1.1 BD on 2007-11-01 14:01 (Reply)
Absolutely guilty...but hey the guy did have on all the gear.

I know from personal experience. A nasty campfire marshmellow tongue burn taught me my lesson. Always let the marshmellow cool WAY down ,cause it's molten lava on the inside.

Luckily there was still enough tequila to numb the pain.
#1.1.1 Habu on 2007-11-01 14:16 (Reply)
Dis hur be uh public messege 'bout da trubles dem Jena folks hav'in. I done hurd dis lass nite.

60,000 people attended a Jena-6 freedom rally in Jena, Louisiana last
month. Only 4 of them missed work!

tee hee
#2 Possumtater on 2007-11-01 14:20 (Reply)
MOST IMPORTANT:
1. small fire extinguisher in kitchen
2. keep people out of kitchen when working with large amounts of hot fat
3. See #2- especially true of children
4. In Asian cooking it is commong to use a little fat when cooking then they have this technique for throwing a little water on the fat and smashing a lid on tight. Especially useful when cooking pot stickers, etc. HOWEVER, you must have the lid right in your hand and ready to slam down on the pot the second the water hits the fat, or else you get something close to what you see when the flame leaps out of the pan (Damn that was scary!).
5. When pulling fat off of stove do not turn around or back up, or move your body to another location. Set the damn thing down on a pre arranged site just next to the stove.

Hope that helps to avoid any tragedies. Of course--you know to watch your long sleeves--right?
#3 apple pie on 2007-11-01 14:40 (Reply)
Having done a stint as a fire marshall for about 5 years in a very small community I had 3 oil fires in that time.

All 3 were cooking with saffron oil.

It was probably just coincidence but I thought it interesting.
#4 lonetown on 2007-11-01 15:44 (Reply)
I think you mean to say "Saffola" oil. Very common for frying and I can undersand why all three fires you had to deal with were caused by that particular type of oil. I believe it has one of the lowest heating temperatures.
#5 apple pie on 2007-11-01 20:47 (Reply)
In the restaurant business we were always taught to cover flaming pots and pans with a cookie sheet thus suffocating the flames.
Fire extinguishers are a wise idea, but it is better to keep them away from any potential fire hazard as they will be easier to access if they are not close (or in the middle of) the flames.
#6 dianainsa on 2007-11-01 21:53 (Reply)
Oh yes of course--I forgot to say to be sure to cover the damn thing!

I am almost to the point here that I am going to get kiddie gates to put across both entrances to the kitchen. I enjoy working with people on the other side of the island, but dang it when they just come ambling through between me, the stove and the sink, I get really nervous. Also, the little dog is always under foot. I have gotten very stern adamant about this in recent years. Used to tolerate all the looklous and puppies and kiddies--don't do it anymore--too stressful!
#7 apple pie on 2007-11-02 00:53 (Reply)
I think the best thing to do in almost any and every fire situation is LEAVE. Then call 911. The heck with the house.
#8 Patina on 2007-11-02 07:51 (Reply)
I disagree with the third post by Apple Pie on two points.
Never ever keep your extinguisher in the kitchen. That's where the fire will be and you, more than likely, will be heading for the kitchen door. Keep the extinguisher in a hall closet or somewhere just outside the kitchen.
Also, don't forget to turn the extinguisher upsidedown and shake the hell out of it every six months or so. The powder inside (basically baking soda) can solidify over time.
The other point is way more important. I was a fire fighter for many years and one of the main reasons for the spread of cooking fires was when people would try to move the pot. The handle is HOT folks. You won't be able to move more than a few feet before you drop it and that's won't be a good thing.
BTW, the explosion of fire when water was thrown on the fire was a result of the rapid expansion of the liguid to steam. Water converts to steam at a volume of 1,400 to 1 so a single cup of water will convert to 1,400 cups of steam.
#9 Neil Davy on 2007-11-03 10:22 (Reply)

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