UhOhToons · Fire and home
How to Put Out a Grease Fire in Your Kitchen
How to put out a grease fire on the stove, without water.
What not to do
- Don't throw water on it. Water makes the fire spread.
- Don't carry the pan to the sink. Don't carry it outside.
This really happened
Chattanooga, Tennessee: a teenager threw water on a grease fire and was burned on both hands, a wrist and a leg. Firefighters say: never water. Read the report
Every word of the Short
The pan just burst into flames. The sink is right there. Here's how you put it out. Without water. Don't throw water on it. Water makes the fire spread. Don't carry the pan to the sink. Don't carry it outside. Kids, back up. Three feet from the stove. Yell for a grown-up.
One. Leave the pan right where it is.
Two. Put on an oven mitt.
Three. Slide a lid over the pan. Slide it. Don't slam it. No lid? A baking sheet works too. No lid, no sheet? Smother it with baking soda.
Four. Turn the burner off.
Five. Leave the lid on. Don't peek. Wait until the pan is cool. Fire in the oven? Keep the door shut. Turn the oven off. Then call 911. Fire in the microwave? Keep the door shut. Unplug it if you can. Got a fire extinguisher? Only one made for grease fires. Only if the fire is small. Only if you know how. Careful. It can splash burning grease everywhere.
Six. Fire getting bigger? Not sure? Just get out. Everybody out. Close the door behind you. Call 911 from outside. Never go back in. Say it with me. Don't move it. Lid on. Burner off. Get out. Tonight, put a lid and an oven mitt next to your stove. Follow UhOhToons to live.
Sources
Every step in this video comes from these sources. We re-read each one before the video went out.
- USFA, Cook Safely: Watch What You Heat! flyer (PDF)
- American Red Cross, Practice Cooking Safety While Staying at Home
- CPSC, Put Safety on the Menu (holiday cooking release, dated Nov 19, 2025)
- FDNY Smart (New York City Fire Department), Cooking Safety
- Los Angeles Fire Department, Cooking Safety
- American Red Cross (Washington), Stay Safe in the Kitchen this Holiday Season
- Chattanooga Fire Department, Teenager Burned In Cooking Fire
- Ready.gov Kids, Home Fires
