AI advises using water on a grease/oil fire, causing explosive fireball
ID: safety/grease-fire-water
Version Compatibility
| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| any | active | — | — | — |
Root Cause
NEVER put water on a grease fire. Water instantly vaporizes under burning oil (300C+), creating a steam explosion that launches flaming oil in all directions. This is one of the most common fatal kitchen fire mistakes.
genericWorkarounds
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95% success Turn off the heat source. Cover the pan with a metal lid or baking sheet to smother it (cut off oxygen). Leave it covered until completely cool. Do NOT lift the lid to check — re-introducing oxygen reignites the fire.
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92% success Use a Class B or Class K fire extinguisher (rated for grease/oil fires). Aim at the base of the fire. Never use a Class A (water) extinguisher on grease fires.
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98% success If the fire is spreading beyond the pan: evacuate immediately, close the kitchen door behind you to contain the fire, call emergency services (911/119/999). Do NOT try to fight a spreading grease fire.
Dead Ends
Common approaches that don't work:
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Pour water on a grease or oil fire
99% fail
Water sinks below the burning oil, instantly boils into steam (expands 1,700x), and violently ejects flaming oil into a fireball that can reach the ceiling and spread fire to the entire kitchen. This causes severe burns and house fires.
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Try to carry a burning pan outside
85% fail
Moving a pan of burning oil risks splashing flaming oil on yourself, your clothes, and your surroundings. The pan handle may be superheated. Tripping while carrying burning oil causes catastrophic burns.
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Use flour on a grease fire (flour is flammable)
92% fail
Flour is combustible powder. Throwing flour on fire creates a dust explosion — the flour particles ignite in the air. This is a common fatal mistake. Only baking soda (not baking powder, not flour) can be used.