U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

City Seal of Cambridge
City of
Cambridge
Home > News > Cambridge Fire Department Offers Safety Tips Related to Kitchen Grease Fires in Response to Recent Incidents

Cambridge Fire Department Offers Safety Tips Related to Kitchen Grease Fires in Response to Recent Incidents

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 1 year ago.

Last week, there were at least 2 kitchen fires started by burning pans of grease on the stove. In both cases, water was thrown into the burning pans, which actually intensified and spread the fires.

A much better & safer option would be to put a cover on it & turn off the heat source.
 
Thankfully in these 2 incidents, sprinklers contained the fires until fire companies quickly arrived to complete extinguishment, overhaul the area, check for further extension, and ventilate. In one of these fires, a resident received minor burns from the fire.

Below are some important tips from the National Fire Protection Association about grease fires on the stove:

  • Always keep a lid nearby when you are cooking.
  • If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by sliding the lid over the pan.
  • Turn off the burner. Do not move the pan. To keep the fire from restarting, leave the lid over the pan until the pan has cooled.
  • Never pour water on a cooking pan grease fire.
  • Only trained adults should use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.
  • Only Class K fire extinguishers are rated for the purpose of putting out grease and animal fat fires.

If you do have an out-of-control fire on the stove or oven, call 911 immediately from a safe area.

For more information, go to the MA Department of Fire Services link on Cooking Safety and Burn Prevention

Put a lid on it - cooking safety

 

 

Page was posted on 5/23/2023 12:26 PM
Page was last modified on 7/25/2023 12:22 AM
Provide feedback on this page
Contact Us

How can we help?

Please provide as much detail below as possible so City staff can respond to your inquiry:

As a governmental entity, the Massachusetts Public Records Law applies to records made or received by the City. Any information received through use of this site is subject to the same provisions as information provided on paper.

Read our complete privacy statement

Service Requests

Enter a service request via SeeClickFix for things like missed trash pickups, potholes, etc., click here

Close