Kitchen Fires: Part 2: Pan Fires

It has happened to all of us: we are calmly cooking away on the stove when suddenly, items INSIDE the pan catch on fire! What is the first instinct? Perhaps it is to dump water in the pot to put the fire out. Or grab the pot and throw it in the sink! Here are some less risky ways to handle this little snafu!

• Make sure you are using an oven mitt once the pan catches on fire.
• Cut off access to the oxygenated air by sliding a cookie sheet or the lid of the pan over the pan. This keeps the fire from being fed.
• Turn off the heat at the burner
• Leave the covered pan there for a while. Don't move it!
• Once the covered pan has cooled, you will know that the fire is out. At that point, please remove the lid or cookie sheet.