Do You Have a Fire Extinguisher in Your Kitchen?

Emily Han
Emily Han
Emily Han is a Los Angeles-based recipe developer, educator, herbalist, and author of Wild Drinks & Cocktails and co-author of Wild Remedies. For recipes and classes, check out her personal site.
published Oct 8, 2013
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A family member recently had a big scare when a pan of cooking oil caught fire. His finger got burned and the kitchen sustained quite a bit of damage. Stories like this have always made me think, “I should get a fire extinguisher” but then I’ve forgotten about it within a day or two. Well, this time I didn’t put it off. How about you — do you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen? Have you ever had to use it?

For the kitchen it’s generally recommended to have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher, such as one for Class A-B-C fires, or one that can specifically handle Class B or K fires. Wondering what those letters mean? Here’s a quick guide:

  • Class A: ordinary combustibles like cloth, wood, and paper
  • Class B: flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, and oil
  • Class C: electrical appliances and tools
  • Class D: flammable metals (mostly in factories)
  • Class K: vegetable oils, animal oils, or fats in cooking appliances

Other features to consider are weight and ease of mounting and maneuvering so you can grab the extinguisher quickly in the event of a fire. After doing some research I bought this
Kidde Kitchen Fire Extinguisher, which was named
Best Home Fire Extinguisher by America’s Test Kitchen.


Check out these posts for more fire safety tips:

(Images: Shebeko/Shutterstock)