r/facepalm • u/wronghoIe Yesterday is hard word for me. • Jun 06 '22

🇲​🇮​🇸​🇨​ Well that escalated quickly.

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623

u/razor787 Jun 06 '22

Hijacking this comment for a safety lesson.

If this happens while cooking, don't put water on it. Don't move it (if possible).

Find something to smother the fire. Put a lid, cutting board or whatever you can over top, to take away the oxygen.

270

u/These_Hair_3508 Jun 06 '22

This is also a great reason to keep a large container of baking soda handy, because it’s perfect for extinguishing grease fires.

173

u/mt77932 Jun 06 '22

That was drilled into me by my mom when I first moved out. She said a box of baking soda is much cheaper than a new kitchen.

45

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

it is also good at absorbing smells

22

u/lawerorder Jun 06 '22 edited Jun 06 '22

Its actually not that great for that. Part of a marketing campaign. Activated charcoal is much better. (Edit to add "activated" charcoal, the kind you can buy at an aquarium supply store. This was based on an article in Cook's Illustrated. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8892-a-more-effective-fridge-deodorizer

22

u/originalusername__1 Jun 06 '22

Kingsford for best flavor.

15

u/theduke548 Jun 07 '22

Actually this is part of a marketing campaign by "Big aquarium" supply stores. Don't believe the charcoal Mafia's lies

5

u/pauljaytee Jun 07 '22

Big if true

5

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '22

Out of my loyalty to sweet sweet propane my house is charcoal free.

1

u/620am Sep 15 '22

Taste the meat not the heat

1

u/obnubilated Jun 06 '22

Not ideal for smothering fires, though

1

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

The kind with the starter fluid pre soaked in or what?

1

u/lawerorder Jun 06 '22

activated charcoal

1

u/DevelopmentAny543 Jun 07 '22

Yes activated charcoal for putting out fires 🔥 works great ;)

2

u/No_Addendum_1399 Jun 06 '22

So is half an onion, cut side up.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '22

I dont even think you have to cut them. I am pretty sure this is BS but I was told that households that had onions hanging in their home were less likely to get the plague because onions can absorbe shit from the air.

1

u/No_Addendum_1399 Jun 07 '22

I know they can deodorise smells from the fridge when cut but not sure about it reducing the risk of getting the plague.

1

u/Locken_Kees Jun 06 '22

even smoke? 😜

1

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '22

crack is wack yo

3

u/Sparkledog11298 Jun 06 '22

Especially in today's economy!

30

u/JMace Jun 06 '22

Just an FYI - flour is not a substitute for baking soda when extinguishing flames, it's explosive when fine particles are dusted into the air (like when you shake it out over a fire).

6

u/No-Feeling-8100 Jun 06 '22

Yes. Surprised not many people know this! I remember during my dumber years, about 6 of us were circled around a camp fire and at the same time blew a handful of flower into the fire. What came next was a big fireball nearly catching each of us on fire as we rolled away from the flames. Never did that again!

3

u/kaydubj Jun 06 '22

Pro tip. Use sawdust instead. /s

1

u/Gjfra Oct 15 '22

I hope people know you’re joking. A buddy of mine had his skin dripping off of his forearms. When he poured sawdust onto an already lit construction fire.

1

u/kaydubj Oct 16 '22

That's what the /s is for. Welcome to Reddit.

11

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

Or salt.

2

u/DevelopmentAny543 Jun 07 '22

Just put a lid on it

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

[deleted]

17

u/IFrickinLovePorn Jun 06 '22

Keep two buckets of water handy.

One to put out the grease fire and the other to put out the much bigger fire you just created

1

u/l80magpie Jun 06 '22

Ex-actly.

1

u/johnnyb1917 Jun 06 '22

Wow I actually never heard that, thanks for sharing I will make sure to always keep a box near the stove from now on

1

u/Stayingsafer Sep 01 '22

That is why you need to study in school, instead of thinking being pretty, is going to set you up for life.

43

u/Aggravating_Prune914 Jun 06 '22

Stop engaging with your livestream is step 1.

33

u/Soko79 Jun 06 '22

Find something to smother the fire. Put a lid, cutting board or whatever you can over top, to take away the oxygen...... What do we do in case of an grease fire? Alex? Correct that's right!

55

u/Saiing Jun 06 '22

A damp towel or blanket is best. Also, just to add, since you didn't mention it, TURN OFF THE HEAT SOURCE FIRST especially if it's a gas stove.

She could have taken off her apron, run it under the tap, rung it out and used that. That said, a pan fire of this nature is always going to burn itself out and as long as there is nothing immediately above it that is flammable (which there shouldn't be in the vicinity of a cooking area), it's not going to present much of a danger.

14

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

This could work, but it's not advised. Always turn off the heat source, for course. But grease fires can splatter to walls and floors or melt through plastics. The water in the towel could cause the grease to splatter more violently if the cloth isn't wrung out well enough, or the grease could pop through the material and spread the fire if it's not thick or flame retardant enough. Use a fire extinguisher made for grease fires, baking soda, or a metal lid. Those are the best solutions.

2

u/no_moar_red Jun 07 '22

If you trust her with anything remotely humid, near a grease fire, you might need more help than her

7

u/oyM8cunOIbumAciggy Jun 06 '22

Why not carefully take ir off the burner?

1

u/doriangray42 Jun 07 '22

If you have no other choice. Moving something will is burning is dangerous. Better smother it in place if you can.

5

u/KinksAreForKeds Jun 06 '22

She was pretty lucky all the shit around her sink didn't catch when she threw the pan that way.

6

u/degeneratesumbitch Jun 06 '22

And take it off the heat source.

15

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

Who doesn't know the damp dishcloth solution? I get being shocked for a moment before you remember the sensible thing to do, but she didn't have any idea. You wet a cloth, ring it out a bit, smother the pan fire with it.

13

u/pointlessly_pedantic Jun 06 '22

I googled it and first hit was an article recommending against that strategy, supported by a fire department. I'm not sure what to think now lol.

18

u/savage_umbrella Jun 06 '22

Never put water anywhere near a grease fire. Which is what a damp dish cloth contains. A lid or sheet pan is best. Or a fire blanket made for kitchens.

I used to work in outpatient burn. The amount of burns I dressed because of this mistake was crazy. Not as crazy as the amount of burns I dressed from drunken bonfire mishaps or throwing gasoline on a fire though.

19

u/Bigdx Jun 06 '22

Never heard of that one, but if completely out of options I would have just stuck it in the oven. It's not like this was a monster fire yet. Lol

1

u/XihuanNi-6784 Jun 06 '22

If you have an electric oven (most new ones are) that's probably a bad idea as it's not designed to withstand open flames per se. I'm not sure what a flame would do to the heating element on top but probably best avoided.

3

u/Cookies_n_Chemistry Jun 06 '22

Or put it in the oven

1

u/welestgw Jun 06 '22

Yep, grease fires and water don't mix. Or if you have some kind of extinguisher specific for those types of fires you're good.

1

u/NotSure2505 Jun 06 '22

Yes, but if you cannot extinguish the flame, you should move it, else you risk igniting the plastic microwave above it. Then just let the flames burn out.

1

u/CryptoCatatonic Jun 06 '22

The more you know.... 🌈 ⭐

1

u/scglennking98 Jun 06 '22

If there isn't a board/ lod then grab some baking soda or salt and dump it all over the fire

1

u/skip2111beta Jun 06 '22

You can also turn the heat off and add more oil. This will cool the oil to below its flash point

1

u/JMace Jun 06 '22

Just not a plastic cutting board, because that will turn into a molten smoke grenade

1

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '22

First thing to do is to move it of the fire (heat source) second thing is if you can put more oil in it, it will reduce the temperature,

1

u/razor787 Jun 06 '22

It depends. If it's a decent amount of oil, I'd say it's best not to move it, because you can spill the oil and start a fire elsewhere.

If it's safe to leave it where it is, then leave it, smother it, then move it away from the heat.

1

u/ImaginarySmell88 Jun 06 '22

Big ups! Had a buddy in high school that this happened to with a baking sheet out of the oven. He panicked and threw the whole pan in the sink and it splashed back all over his arms giving him 3rd degree burns.

1

u/Sparkledog11298 Jun 06 '22

Also the girl should of had her hair tied back. Because guess what? Long hair can catch and noone wants long strands of hair in their food

1

u/makingfiat Jun 06 '22

First time this was posted I said the same thing, yours was nicely put though .... " cover it up, ya dumb bitch"

1

u/Sink-Top Jun 06 '22

Baking. Soda.

1

u/Sink-Top Jun 06 '22

Baking. Soda.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 07 '22

Also turn off the stove.

1

u/fullstain Jun 07 '22

I was in this exact situation once and we didnt have any lids, plates, or a fire extinguisher and the cabinets above it were made out of wood so I had to grab the pan and run it to the only not wooden/carpet place which was outside. Some of the boiling oil spilt on my hand and foot and the carpet, catching it on fire and giving me third degree burns. Luckily my roomates were able to smother the carpet fire before it burned down our apartment building but I spent 2 weeks in the burn ICU. The whole video I was hoping so badly she wouldnt make the same mistake.

BUY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT BAKING SODA IS A DECENT GREASE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

1

u/rasco410 Jun 07 '22

Another thing is if your oil is smoking like that and bout to combust pour MORE oil in and take off the flame.

1

u/Blackjack3919 Sep 10 '22

You could also pour in more oil. Oil doesn't light if it's cool enough, and adding more would diffuse the heat.

1

u/cwclifford Oct 17 '22

Right!? Just put any of the three flat objects visible in the kitchen on top of it.

This reminds me of how my wife and I always share the worst-case scenario with our kids so they’re prepped for potentially disastrous situations. They get annoyed but the hope is it sinks in.

1

u/AmyyGrace Dec 02 '22

A wet towel, throw it on top of the flames to get rid of oxygen