What with Hop tu Naa and all, I have been writing a lot recently about flames so I thought you might all appreciate a little reminder of how dangerous an oil fire in your kitchen can be. This is a British Fire Brigade’s video of a classic chip-pan fire (fries to you) and how the correct way to extinguish it is by turning off the heat source, soaking a tea cloth and wringing out the excess moisture and covering the fire. Never water.
Why not water? Well, the water, being heavier than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes superheated. The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out.
Also, do not throw sugar or flour on an oil fire. Apparently, one cup creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite. Watch the video and don’t forget what you see. It’s probably not good for small children to see this.
