How To Respond To Kitchen Fires

If a fire is discovered or suspected in the Kitchen, the following steps should be followed:

• GREASE FIRES – If the fire is small and manageable, activate the manual pull for the fire suppression system. Otherwise, LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY AND EXIT THE BUILDING.

⇓

• ALL OTHER FIRES – If the fire is small and manageable, use an ABC fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire.  Otherwise, LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY AND EXIT THE BUILDING.

⇓

• Contact the Main Office to report the fire to 911. The Main Office should also contact Facility Services EMERGENCY LINE.

⇓

• Contact Child Nutrition to report the fire.

⇓

• GREASE FIRES – When the fire department and Principal signal it is safe to reenter, Child Nutrition should sprinkle Voban Absorbent or an oil dry absorbent on the floor to soak up the fire suppression chemical. If available, a wet vacuum can also be used to extract the fire suppression chemical. Do not mop the floor.

⇓

• Use sponges and/or towels to soak up and remove the fire suppression chemical on all equipment and cooking surfaces. The chemical should be removed from the surface of all equipment within 24 hours of initial contact to prevent stains.

⇓

• GREASE FIRES – Facility Services will contract clean up of the remaining fire suppression chemical in the area affected.

⇓

• The Fire Safety Specialist will manage recharging the fire suppression system and/or fire extinguishers.

⇓

• Child Nutrition will dispose of all food product and cooking oil that has come in contact with the fire suppression chemical. Communicate with your Child Nutrition Supervisor to determine what should be discarded and how to report losses.

⇓

• Dispose of all materials, including sponges and rags, used to absorb and clean the fire suppression chemical.

Notes

• The Kitchen exhaust hood fire suppression chemical is hard to remove and can stain surfaces. Do not mop the floor after the fire suppression system has discharged. The fire suppression chemical must be absorbed and removed. Mopping will cause the chemical to spread beyond the initial area affected.

• Bags of Voban Absorbent should be stocked in the Kitchen to be used for absorbing the fire suppression chemical.

• The manual fire pull should be near the exit door. Activating the manual pull for the fire suppression system will shut down all gas and electric equipment under the exhaust hood, discharge the fire suppression system in the exhaust hood (both above the grease filters and through the nozzles directed at cooking equipment), and activate the fire alarm system to alarm throughout the facility.

• Fire suppression discharge nozzles are aimed at specific pieces of kitchen equipment. As a result, kitchen equipment should not be moved without consulting with Facility Services first.

• Child Nutrition Staff shall periodically check the hood exhaust filters to make sure there are no gaps or openings.

• A kitchen hood fire suppression system is required over kitchen equipment that produces smoke and grease-laden vapors or grease of appreciable depth.

• Hood fire suppression systems are inspected and tested semiannually by our contractor.

• Exhaust hoods and hood filters over kitchen equipment are cleaned annually by a contractor to prevent grease and dust accumulation.

• A Class K (SILVER) fire extinguisher must be mounted in Kitchens and is appropriate for grease fires. A Class ABC (RED) fire extinguisher must be mounted and accessible in the Dining Room areas and is appropriate for all other fires.