If you need to know how to put out a grease fire right now: slide a metal lid or a baking sheet over the pan, turn off the burner, and leave the lid on until the pan has cooled completely. Do not throw water on it, do not carry the pan to the sink, and do not use flour. If the flames are bigger than the pan, have reached the cabinets or the range hood, or you do not feel able to get a lid on safely, get everyone out, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside.
That is the whole emergency answer. The rest of this page explains why each step works, where official sources quietly disagree with each other (baking soda, extinguishers), and what to set up in your kitchen today so the next pan fire ends with a covered pan instead of a call to your insurer.
The short version, in order
These steps come from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which all publish the same core sequence.
- Cover it. Slide a lid or baking sheet over the pan from the side, not straight down from above, so your arm stays out of the flames. An oven mitt helps.
- Turn off the heat. Shut off the burner, gas or electric.
- Leave it alone. Do not lift the lid to check. Do not move the pan. Let it cool where it is.
- Leave if it is not working. If the fire is spreading or you cannot get the lid on, get out, close the door and call 911.
The CPSC's cooking safety guide (read 2026-09-25) puts it in one sentence: slide a pan lid over the flames to smother a grease or oil fire, then turn off the heat and leave the lid in place until the pan cools. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security adds the part people get wrong under pressure: leave the lid on and do not try to carry the pan away.
Why water turns a grease fire into a bigger one
Oil and water do not mix, and in a burning pan that matters in a violent way. The Lincoln County, Nevada emergency management office explains it plainly: water instantly sinks to the bottom of the pan, gets superheated and turns to steam, and the burst of steam spreads flaming oil out of the pan and across the kitchen.
That is why every source we read says the same thing about water, and why "carry it to the sink" is the most dangerous instinct in the kitchen. Moving the pan also risks spilling burning oil on the floor, on you, or on anyone standing nearby. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security states it without qualification: never try using water to douse a grease fire.
A wet dish towel falls into the same trap. It brings water to the fire, and throwing it over the pan invites you to lean in and drag the pan with it. A lid does the smothering job without either problem.
How to put out a grease fire with a lid, step by step
The lid method works because fire needs oxygen, and a covered pan runs out of it. It also works without making a mess, which is part of why fire agencies put it first.
Pick a cover. A metal lid that fits the pan is ideal. A baking sheet or a larger pan works if there is no lid; Lincoln County's guidance lists a pan lid, a cookie sheet or another larger pan as acceptable covers.
Approach from the side. Hold the lid like a shield and slide it across the pan from the edge closest to you. Coming straight down from above puts your hand and forearm into the rising flame.
Then turn off the burner. The CPSC's order is lid first, then heat. The reasoning is practical: the lid stops the fire from growing while you reach for the knob. On a gas range, if the knob is behind the flames, cover first.
Wait longer than feels necessary. Oil stays hot after the flames go out, and lifting the lid lets oxygen back in. The CPSC's instruction is to leave the lid in place until the pan cools, and that is the rule to follow even when the flames seem long gone.
If you ever smell gas at the range after a fire, or at any other time, that is a different emergency with a different response. Our guide to what to do if you smell gas at the stove covers it.
What never to put on a grease fire
| Do not use | What the sources we read say |
|---|---|
| Water | CPSC: never use water on cooking fires. Lincoln County, NV: it sinks, turns to steam and spreads flaming oil |
| Flour | CPSC: never use flour on cooking fires |
| Sugar | Lincoln County, NV: do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire |
| Carrying the pan to the sink or outside | Indiana DHS: leave the lid on and do not try to carry the pan away |
Where official sources disagree: baking soda and salt
Most articles on this topic say "baking soda or salt works on small grease fires" as if it were settled. The government sources we read on 2026-09-25 do not say that in unison.
- The CPSC recommends baking soda for "other food fires", and gives the lid as the method for a grease or oil fire specifically.
- Lincoln County, Nevada's emergency management page goes the other way: "Never use water, baking soda or salt to extinguish a grease fire."
The honest reading is that the lid is the method every official source agrees on, and baking soda is not something to rely on for a grease fire. If you keep baking soda by the stove for other food fires, keep a lid there too, and reach for the lid first. Do not grab whatever white powder is closest: flour is on the CPSC's never list, and in a panic the canisters look alike.
Fire extinguisher class for a home kitchen
This is where most readers get stuck, so here is what the USFA's page on choosing and using fire extinguishers (read 2026-09-25) actually says.
| Class | What it is for (USFA wording) | Home kitchen relevance |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ordinary materials like cloth, wood and paper | A towel or curtain that caught from the pan |
| B | Combustible and flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil | A stovetop grease fire |
| C | Electrical equipment like appliances, tools or other equipment | A toaster or appliance fire |
| D | Flammable metals | Not a household concern |
| K | Vegetable oils, animal oils and fats in cooking appliances | Built around cooking appliances such as fryers |
For homes, the USFA recommends multipurpose extinguishers that cover Class A through Class C, and says to check for the "UL Listed" or "ULC Listed" label. The CPSC adds a line worth taking seriously: keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and make sure you have the right type and training. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security similarly advises keeping an all-purpose extinguisher in or near the kitchen. Mount it where you can grab it on your way out of the room, not behind the stove, so reaching for it never means reaching past the fire.
Before you pull the pin
The USFA says to use an extinguisher only if you can answer yes to every one of these:
- Everyone else in the home has been alerted.
- Someone has called the fire department.
- You are physically able to use the extinguisher.
- The fire is small and contained to a single object or surface.
- You are safe from the smoke.
- You have a clear escape route.
If any answer is no, leave. The USFA's technique for using one is PASS: pull the pin, aim low at the base of the fire, squeeze the lever slowly, and sweep from side to side. Read the label on your own extinguisher today, including the operating distance it gives, because the time to learn it is not while a pan is burning. The USFA also says to check the pressure level, working parts and cleanliness regularly.
When to stop and get out
This is the part competitors bury, and it matters most. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, citing the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), notes that more than half of cooking fire injuries happen when residents try to put the fire out themselves. That is not an argument against the lid. It is an argument for knowing your limit before the fire tests it. Indiana's rule is to evacuate and call 911 if the fire becomes too large to address safely.
In practice, leave, close the door and call 911 from outside if:
- The flames are taller than the pan or have reached the cabinets, wall or range hood.
- Smoke is filling the room faster than you can see through it.
- You cannot reach the pan without leaning over the flames.
- You have tried the lid and it is still burning.
Close the door behind you to help hold the smoke and fire in one room, call from outside, and do not go back in.
Oven and microwave fires are different
For an oven or broiler fire, the CPSC says to keep the door shut and turn off the heat. The North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal gives the same approach for a microwave fire: turn it off immediately and keep the door closed. Opening the door feeds the fire air. If the fire does not go out, or smoke is coming from anywhere other than around the door, leave and call 911. After any fire inside an appliance, have it checked by a qualified appliance technician before you use it again. If your microwave has been sparking rather than burning, see our page on microwave sparking and arcing.
Why kitchen fires start, and how to make the next one less likely
The USFA reports that in 2021, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 170,000 residential cooking fires, with an estimated 135 deaths and 3,000 injuries. It lists unattended equipment as the leading factor in nonconfined home cooking fires, at 37%. The CPSC calls unattended cooking the number one cause of cooking fires.
The prevention advice that follows from that is not complicated:
- Stay with the pan. The USFA's line is "stand by your pan", and if you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
- Watch the heat. The USFA notes that fires start when the heat is too high. If oil starts to smoke, turn the burner down or off.
- Keep a lid next to the pan when frying. Not in a drawer. On the counter, within reach.
- Clear the zone. Towels, oven mitts, paper and packaging stay away from the cooktop.
- Keep grease off the hood. Built-up grease in a range hood filter sits directly above the flame. Our guide to cleaning a greasy range hood filter covers the routine.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, as the USFA advises, so nobody bumps a pan of hot oil off the range.
What we cannot tell you
We are not firefighters, and this page is research, not training. We have not tested extinguishers or smothering methods ourselves. Local fire codes, extinguisher requirements for rentals and what your fire department recommends can differ from national guidance. Many fire departments can tell you what they want residents to keep at home, and some offer extinguisher training; your local fire department's non-emergency line is the right place to ask.
FAQ
Can you put out a grease fire with water?
No. Water sinks under the burning oil, turns to steam and spreads flaming oil out of the pan. The CPSC says never use water on cooking fires.
Does baking soda put out a grease fire?
Official sources disagree. The CPSC recommends baking soda for "other food fires" and a lid for grease fires, while Lincoln County, Nevada's emergency management office says never to use baking soda or salt on a grease fire. A metal lid is the method every source agrees on.
What fire extinguisher do I need for a home kitchen?
The USFA recommends a multipurpose extinguisher covering Class A through Class C, with a "UL Listed" or "ULC Listed" label. It describes Class K as for vegetable oils, animal oils and fats in cooking appliances.
How long should I leave the lid on a grease fire?
Until the pan has cooled. The CPSC says to leave the lid in place until the pan cools, and not to lift it early to check.
When should I call 911 for a kitchen fire?
As soon as the fire is larger than the pan, has spread beyond it, or you cannot cover it safely. Get everyone out, close the door, and call from outside.
