Common Causes of Restaurant Fires & How To Prevent Them

Commercial kitchen fires cause over $100 million in damages annually and can result in personal injury, loss of life, and significant property damage. No matter what type of restaurant you own or operate, its kitchen poses unique fire risks that can severely damage your property.

Unifour Fire & Safety offers a wide range of products and services that can help you avoid the devastating consequences of a kitchen fire and keep your property and the people who work and dine there as safe as possible.

What You Need To Know About Commercial Kitchen Fires

Kitchen fires are responsible for more than half of all business fires, not only those in restaurants. They’re particularly dangerous because they often begin or spread due to grease, a highly flammable cooking product that’s found in nearly every commercial kitchen.

Other common fire hazards include:

• Cooking and alcohol
• Greasy rags and towels
• Faulty electrical wiring
• Poorly maintained kitchen equipment
• Housekeeping hazards like empty cardboard boxes that can fuel flames

Designing a Fire Prevention Plan

There are three primary sources of commercial kitchen fires: deep fat fryers, griddles, and ranges.

Along with training all employees on fire hazards and what to do in case of an emergency, investing in fire suppression solutions safeguards your valuable assets and keeps everyone protected. These suppressants are used in hoods for stoves, grills, fryers, or other cooking appliances.

When a fire breaks out, its intense heat activates the system, and a foam or water-based suppressant is released from strategically placed nozzles over the cooking surface. The fire is smothered, and the electrical and gas supplies are disconnected.

What You Can Do To Prevent a Commercial Kitchen Fire

A commercial kitchen fire not only puts lives and property at risk but also forces your business to close for an unknown length of time, putting people’s jobs and the future of your business at risk. The following tips can help you reduce the risk of a fire in your commercial kitchen:

1. Regularly inspect the cooking equipment and ensure everything from ovens to fryers is thoroughly cleaned every day. Employees should remove grease from the cooking surface as well as from the hood and grease traps.
2. Schedule professional fire safety inspections at least once or twice a year to ensure sprinklers and other fire prevention equipment are in good working order.
3. Pay attention to what’s around cooking surfaces and keep gloves, wipes, curtains, rags, and utensils made of flammable materials at a safe distance.
4. Train your staff on how to use equipment like fire extinguishers. Hold drills and meetings to cover evacuation plans and other safety measures.

Protect Your Restaurant From Fires With Help From Unifour

The safest fire is the one that never happens! Of course, we hope you never experience a fire in your commercial kitchen, but we also know how essential it is to reduce the risk and ensure the safety and security of your property.

Our wide range of fire and safety products and services are designed to fulfill all your restaurant’s fire protection needs.

To learn more about our industry-leading fire protection offerings, contact us online today or call 866-511-5540.