A fire blanket is a sheet of fire-resistant fabric folded into a small case on the wall. You don’t need training, there is no pin and no pressure gauge, and it can’t be used the wrong way round. That makes it the one piece of fire equipment almost anyone can use under stress.
Short answer: pull the tapes, hold the blanket up in front of your hands, lay it over the pan away from you, turn off the heat, and leave it alone until everything is cold.
Why not water?
Water poured on burning oil sinks under it, boils in an instant and throws the burning oil up and out of the pan. People are badly burned this way every year. Even a wet towel can do it. A blanket smothers the fire by cutting off the air instead.
Step by step: a burning pan
- Pull both tapes sharply downwards. The blanket drops out of the case.
- Hold it by the tapes and fold the top edge over your hands, so the blanket shields them from the heat.
- Lay it over the pan, placing it away from you so the flames are pushed away and not towards your face. Don’t throw it.
- Turn off the gas or the cooker if you can do it safely.
- Leave it alone. Don’t lift a corner to look. The oil stays hot enough to flare up again for a long time. Wait at least half an hour, until the pan is cold.
If the fire has spread beyond the pan, or the room is filling with smoke, leave, close the kitchen door and call 999 or the Fire Service on 16163.
If someone’s clothes catch fire
Stop them running, because running feeds the flames. Get them to the ground, wrap the blanket around them from the neck down, and pat out the flames. Then cool the burns with cool running water for at least 20 minutes and get medical help.
Where to hang it
- In the kitchen, near the door, at a height you can reach without stretching.
- Not directly above or behind the stove. You should not have to reach through the fire to get it.
- In a factory canteen, a restaurant kitchen or a laboratory, one beside each cooking or heating area.
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After you use it
Throw it away and buy a new one. Most fire blankets are made for one use: heat and oil weaken the fabric. Check the blanket in its case now and then: the tapes should hang free and the case should not be crushed or painted over.
Blanket or extinguisher?
Keep both. The blanket is best for a pan and for clothing. For anything else, such as a curtain, a bin or a socket, use an extinguisher: an ABC powder for most fires, or a CO2 beside electrical equipment. Our guide Fire Extinguisher Types explains which is which.
Common questions
Can a fire blanket be reused?
No. Most are made for a single use. After a fire, replace it.
How long should I leave the blanket on the pan?
Until the pan is cold, at least half an hour. Hot oil can catch fire again if air gets back to it.
What size fire blanket do I need?
A 1 × 1 m blanket covers a household pan. For a commercial kitchen or for wrapping a person, choose the larger 1.2 × 1.8 m size.
Do fire blankets expire?
They do not need servicing, but replace one that is damaged, damp or crushed, or whose tapes no longer pull free.
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