How to Put Out a Chip Pan or Saucepan Fire

A pan of oil has caught fire on your hob. You have seconds to act, and the right actions are simple. Turn off the heat if you can reach it safely, get everyone out, close the door behind you and call 999¹. Do not try to put the fire out yourself, and never throw water on it: fire services warn that water on burning oil will make the fire spread quicker and can turn it into a fireball³.

The reason to leave rather than fight it is that a chip pan fire is one of the most dangerous things that happens in a British kitchen. Deep fat frying with chip pans is named by fire services as the highest fire risk in cooking⁵. The oil is already at a temperature where it will ignite anything it touches, and the fire can spread from the pan to the cooker hood, the cupboards and the rest of the room in a very short time. Firefighters would far rather arrive at a fire in a closed kitchen than at a burned person.

This page sets out what to do in the first minute, why water is so dangerous, what to do if you cannot reach the heat, what happens when you call 999, and how to stop a chip pan fire starting in the first place. It applies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the fire and rescue services in all four nations give the same core advice.

Turn off the heat if it is safe, get out and call 999

The order matters. If the pan has just caught and you can reach the hob without putting yourself in danger, turn the heat off. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue's advice is to "turn off the heat (if it is safe), get out and call 999"¹. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service gives the same sequence: turn off the heat source and, if safe to do so, leave the room and call 999⁹. Turning the heat off removes the energy feeding the fire, but it does not put the fire out, and the oil stays hot enough to reignite for some time.

Then leave. London Fire Brigade's four steps are to leave the room, close the door, warn others and call 999². Closing the door is not a small detail: it starves the fire of air and slows its spread into the hallway and the rest of the house, which buys time for everyone to get out and for firefighters to arrive⁹. Shout to warn anyone else in the house on your way out¹⁰.

Once you are outside, stay outside. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's instruction is blunt: "Once you are out, stay out"¹¹. Do not go back in for a phone, a handbag, a pet or anything else. If someone is still inside, tell the 999 operator when you call.

Never use water on a chip pan fire: it will explode

This is the single most important rule on the page, and every fire service in the UK repeats it. Lincolnshire's wording is "Never use water on a chip pan fire, as it will explode"¹. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service warns that water on an oil fire or grill pan fire "will turn into a fireball"⁶. Another fire service warns that you should never throw water on chip pan fires as this can create a fireball³. The message is the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The physics behind the warning explains why it is so violent. Water is denser than oil, so a jug of water thrown on a burning pan sinks straight to the bottom. The heat of the oil turns it to steam almost instantly, and the steam expands with enough force to throw the burning oil up and out of the pan, across the cooker and towards whoever threw it. That is the fireball the fire services describe, and it is why the injury from a chip pan fire is so often to the face, arms and hands of the person trying to help.

The same rule applies to a smoking pan that has not yet caught. If the oil starts to smoke it is too hot: turn off the heat and leave it to cool, and never put food into a pan whose oil is smoking⁶. Wet chips are a common cause of a pan boiling over and catching, because the water in them makes the hot oil bubble up and spill onto the cooker¹².

Why you should leave rather than tackle the fire

It is natural to want to deal with a fire in your own kitchen, and many people do. The fire services' advice is to resist that instinct, because a chip pan fire is not a small fire you can smother with a tea towel. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service's guidance is direct: "Don't tackle a pan fire yourself"¹⁴. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says: "Never attempt to extinguish a pan fire. Get to safety and call 999"⁸.

There are three reasons. First, the oil is extremely hot and can splash or reignite. Second, the fire can spread to the cooker hood, the cupboards and the ceiling faster than you can react. Third, the smoke from burning cooking oil is thick and toxic, and a kitchen fills with it in seconds. Getting out and closing the door protects you and everyone else in the house, and it gives firefighters a contained fire to deal with rather than a house full of smoke.

The fire services also point to how these fires start, because most are preventable. The biggest risks in cooking are deep fat frying with chip pans, distractions, and alcohol⁴. Never leave a pan unattended, even for a moment: the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warns that "it only takes a second for a fire to start"¹⁵. Never fry food if you have been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or if you are tired¹⁵. And if you can, avoid the traditional chip pan altogether: modern electric deep fat fryers are much safer because they have a safety switch that cuts them off if they overheat¹⁵.

What to do if you cannot reach the heat safely

Sometimes the flames or the smoke stop you getting near the hob. In that case, do not try. The guidance from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is explicit: "If you cannot turn off the heat, just get out, closing the doors behind you (to stop the spread) and call 999"⁴. Do not reach across a burning pan, do not try to move it, and do not try to smother it with a cloth or a towel.

If you are already outside and the fire is growing, stay out and keep everyone well back from the windows and doors. If you are trapped inside and cannot get out, get to a room with a window, close the door, put bedding or towels at the bottom of the door to keep smoke out, and call 999, telling the operator where you are¹⁶. The page on what to do if you cannot escape a fire covers that situation in more detail.

Some guidance recommends keeping a fire blanket in the kitchen, particularly in properties where a fire would spread quickly, such as thatched homes¹⁷. A blanket works by cutting off the air to a small fire. But the advice for a pan that has already caught is still to get out and call 999 rather than tackle it yourself⁸. If you do keep a blanket, store it where you can reach it without leaning over the hob, and read the instructions before you need them. The page on fire extinguishers and fire blankets explains the types and their limits.

Calling 999: what happens next

Call 999 as soon as you are out, or as soon as you are safely away from the kitchen. Ask for the fire and rescue service and give your address clearly, including the flat or house number and the street⁸. Tell the operator what is on fire, for example "a chip pan fire in the kitchen"¹⁶. If anyone is still inside, say so straight away. If you are on a mobile, a neighbour's phone or a phone box, call from there⁸.

The operator will stay on the line and may ask you to confirm details or give directions. Do not hang up until you are told to. Fire engines are dispatched while you are still on the call, so the sooner you ring, the sooner help is on its way. Do not delay the call to try to put the fire out yourself.

The same number applies across the UK: 999 for fire, police and ambulance. In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service lists severe burns and scalds among the emergencies for which you should call 999¹⁸. If a fire occurs in the kitchen, get out, stay out and call 999 immediately¹⁵. If someone has been burned, tell the operator when you call, and follow any first aid instructions you are given while you wait.

Stopping a chip pan fire before it starts

Most chip pan fires are preventable, and the fire services' prevention advice is consistent. Never fill the pan more than one third full of fat or oil⁶. If the oil starts to smoke, it is too hot: turn off the heat and leave it to cool¹. Never put food into a pan whose oil is smoking¹². Dry wet chips before they go in, because wet chips make the oil bubble up and overflow¹². Stay in the kitchen while you cook and never leave a pan unattended, especially when frying or using high heat¹⁹.

If you use a traditional chip pan, consider replacing it. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says modern electric deep fat fryers are much safer than traditional chip pans because they have a safety switch that cuts them off, helping stop them overheating and catching fire, and advises trying not to use a traditional chip pan if you can because there is always a high risk of fire¹⁵. The Fire Kills campaign makes the same point: consider switching to oven chips instead of a chip pan or deep fat fryer¹⁹.

A working smoke alarm gives you the warning you need to get out. The Fire Kills campaign's advice is to stay in the kitchen while cooking and never leave pans unattended, especially when frying or using high heat¹⁹. The page on kitchen fires covers cooking safety and prevention in more depth, and the fire safety checklist is a good place to start if you want to check your whole home.