Fire Blankets & Kitchen Fire Safety

Kitchen fires, particularly cooking-oil fires, appear in the news almost every year. Pouring water onto burning oil can cause hot oil to splatter and the fire to spread rapidly. Never use water on a cooking-oil fire. The Hong Kong Fire Services Department identifies fire blankets as an important tool for small, early-stage kitchen fires. Prepared by Fire Station, Hong Kong fire safety specialists, using FSD information, this guide explains how blankets work, heavy-duty and light-duty types, restaurant requirements, correct use, common mistakes, placement and maintenance for homes, cafés and restaurants.

Contents

1. What exactly is the blanket? Why does it have to be put out?
2. Heavy light? Fire department points?
3. Cooking oil boilers on fire: Why is it so dangerous? Why can't we use water?
4. Use the fire blanket four paces correctly.
5. You can use fire blankets with clothes on fire.
6. Common error: these things don't want to do
7. When are you going to save her?
8. Some place on the side should be equipped with fire blankets?
9. Place position as basic maintenance
10. Fire blankets and fire extinguishers can replace each other?
11. Day-to-day kitchen fire-proof stickers
12. Where'd you buy a compliance blanket?
13. Common problems FAQ

1. What Is a Fire Blanket, and How Does It Extinguish a Fire?

A fire blanket is a folded sheet, usually stored in a red or white wall-mounted pouch or box with two pull tabs exposed at the bottom. It is not ordinary fabric. According to the FSD, it is made from fire-resistant material such as fibreglass. The flexible sheet can cover and extinguish small fires, including small cooking-oil fires.

Fire extinguishment: Insulated air

Three things are required for combustion: flammable material, heat and oxygen. Fire blankets are used to attack the oxygen ring. When you cover the fire blanket completely, it separates the flame from the air, for example, by a cover, and the fire goes out without oxygen. Fire Protection Circular No. 11 of the Fire Department also sets out the use of fire blankets: to cover the flames, to isolate the air, and to shut down the heat source. The fire blanket will not be removed until the burning object cools .

Why would a glass fiber protect itself from fire?

Fibreglass fabric does not burn, support combustion or produce molten drips. It can maintain its structure when exposed to flames, allowing it to cover the fire. Some fire blankets have an additional coating to improve flexibility and durability.

Compared to fire extinguishers

The maximum benefit of fire blankets is that they are extremely simple: they do not cause pull-off, aim-out, shoot-out distance, and do not leave low powder. For small areas such as kitchen cooking boilers, concentrated in the initial fire alarm of a container, fire blankets tend to be the fastest and most direct way to process A Complete Guide to Fire Extinguishers in Hong Kong.

Heavy light? Fire department points?

The Fire Services Department Fire Protection Circular No. XI: Appropriate Use and Method of Maintenance of Fire extinguishers divides fire blankets into two categories:

Category	Standard	Characteristics	Fire Services Department admissions
Heavy fire blankets	BS 7944	thicker, more durable, renewable, suitable for industrial and commercial kitchens	Only heavy and reusable fire blankets can be accepted as equipment required by the Fire Services Department.
Light fire blankets	BS EN 1869	Lighter, lighter. Designed for one person to operate with one hand or two hands, usually a one-time use.	Home fit voluntary settings; BS EN 1869:2019 requires first-time use and disposal

In other words, if you are a licensed cooker, you have to configure the type of approved fire blankets issued by the fire department; if you are a home user, set up voluntarily and choose the fire blankets approved by the fire department. Either side, all hand-held fire extinguishers are approved by the fire department and can first be supplied or sold in Hong Kong.

BS En 1869, what's the test about?

BS EN 1869 is the standard for hand-held blankets used by a person. The test will heat up the oil to self-fire (about 360°C) and then cover it with a blanket for fire suppression, which will be required to extinguish the fire at a specified time. They may not recommence for a period of time after removal. The 2019 version is for a fire of up to 3 litres of cooking oil, i.e., a general home-like commercial kitchen.

3. Why Cooking-Oil Fires Are Dangerous, and Why Water Must Never Be Used

If the temperature is about 160 to 190 degrees Celsius. If the fire is not observed, the temperature continues to rise to the point of self-flammation (about 300 degrees Celsius depending on the type of oil).

What's the use of oil?

The boiling point of the water is 100 degrees centigrade, higher than the oil density, which immediately sinks to the bottom of the oil, then swells in an instant, spills the burning oil around. The fire spread from the pot to the smoker, the wall, the curtains and even to the human body. So there's no fire in the cooking oil pan, there's no water, and there's no use of wet towels for fire blankets.

The right way.

1. Turn off fire and gas in safety.
2. With fire blankets or pan caps completely covered the pan, isolated the air.
3. Keep the cover up until it's completely cooled, don't open up, don't move the cooking pan.
4. If the fire has burned out the pot, the smoker or the cupboard, do not save it, leave immediately and call 999.

Other home-based fire alarms and prevention can be seen Common Causes of Home Fires & Prevention.

Four steps for the correct use of fire blankets

Fire blankets are not complicated, but there are a number of key actions that must be done, otherwise they will not protect themselves or even cause the fire to bounce back.

Step 1: Pull

BS EN 1869 demands that the fire blanket be pulled with no more than 80 Newtons, i.e. the normal adult is pulled down.

Step 2: Development

The blankets are fully spread. If folded, the cover is not enough to cover the air.

Step three: protection.

The blankets were raised to the chest or chin to form a "shelter" to protect the hand and the arms from fire and heat.

Step 4: Guy

Move slowly to the source of the fire, starting from the side that is close to itself, and slowly release it forward, and cover the fire blanket completely into a pan with the source. Do not fall from the top to the bottom vertically, because the flame is moving up, and the hands will be exposed directly to the flame; and do not fall "slide" and the lids may not be covered or the oil lifted up.

When you're done: turn off the fire, cool down, don't blow it.

• Turn off the fire and the gas (if not yet off) under safe conditions.
• Keep it covered until the boiler and oil are completely cool ed. If the temperature is still high, exposure to the air can rekindle, so it's better to wait.
• Don't move the cooking pan.
• If the fire remains unfired after the blanket has been put on, or if the smoke is increasing, leave immediately and call 999.

The use of fire extinguishers is the same as the common error in How to Use a Fire Extinguisher: PASS & Common Mistakes.

Five, clothes on fire can be used to put out blankets.

The other important use of the blankets, after cooking oil, is to treat people with clothes on them. Cooking, worshiping, burning in their kimonos on fire, begging not to run, and running will make the fire burn even harder.

• Fire itself: Stop, lie, roll. Stop right now, lie down on the ground, hide behind your hands, roll back and forth and put out the flames.
• Help ers: Spread the fire blanket, wrap the fire under the head, so that the air can be isolated until the fire goes out.
• When the fire is out, wash the location of the burn with fresh water and seek medical attention as soon as possible. Do not spray the face directly with fire extinguish ers.

VI. Common mistakes: these things don't want to do

• Fire with water: Hot oil splattered and fire increased immediately.
• Wet towels instead of fire blanket s: towels are not big enough or wet enough to burn, and water drops into cooking oils, which also causes splatters.
• A vertical cap from top to bottom: The hands are exposed directly above the flame.
• It' s too early to come out: the oil's not cooled, it rekindles after exposure to the air.
• Bringing fire-fed cooking pan s: Splashing on the side and possibly burning yourself.
• Open the window, open the air fan, blow with the fan: introduce more air, make the fire burn harder, and the wind will blow it out.
• Clock cover: I don't cover enough, I can't isolate the air.
• Back-to -back: Light fire-fighting blankets are normally used once and should be replaced when used; any fire-fighting blankets are used to check if they are burned or hardened.

Seven, when are you not going to save them?

The blanket is only used to handle the initial fire.

• The fire has been set outside the pot and has reached the smoker, the pipe, the cooker or the curtain.
• There are many fires in the kitchen, and it is no longer a single cooking pan.
• The smoke accumulates, starting to fail to see or to breathe.
• You don't have the guts or the panic, you can't get near the stove.
• The clothes on his body have been spilled.

Close the kitchen door and the door at the time of departure, prevent fire and smoke, use the stairs to escape, do not take a lift, and call when it is safe. A detailed assessment can be made Small-Fire Response: Extinguish or Evacuate?er.

Where should we put fire blankets on the side?

The following are the most common scenarios in Hong Kong:

Places	Main risks	Suggested Configuration
Home kitchen.	Cooking boilers, cookers, stoves.	A fire blanket at the kitchen entrance + Home Fire Safety Essentials
Teahouse, fast-food restaurant, winehouse.	Multiple stoves, boilers, plenty of oil.	As per the rules issued by the Fire Services Department, a fire blanket of 1.44 m2 is normally used for each furnace, accompanied by a water/CO2 extinguisher; and an automatic fire suppression system is generally available for the location of the common food blaster in accordance with UL-300
Western, Cafe.	Flat floors, furnaces, clear fire plasters, coffee machines	A fire blanket at the bar or kitchen entrance + dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguisher
Hot pots, barbecues, iron plates.	There's a fire in the seat. There's a truck stove.	By special rules of the fire department for this type of food
School Home Office, Community Centre Kitchen	Less experience among participants	A blanket for each cooking area with a dry powder extinguisher
Office tea room.	Microwaves, multistores, electromagnetic furnaces	A blanket + dry powder extinguisher
Outdoor fairs, cuisine festivals, caravans	Temporary cooking, petroleum gas.	One fire-fighting blanket for each boothFire Extinguisher Rental in Hong Kong, company FS251 certificate

The full layout of the restaurant can be found Fire Extinguisher Planning for Shops & Offices.

IX. Placement and basic maintenance

Positioning Principle

• Every kitchen is in the eye far from the boiler, with a fire blanket, usually a wall near the kitchen entrance.
• Don't hang on top of the stove or next to the smoker, or you'll get your hands out of the fire first, and the smoke will make it dirty.
• The height of the adult reach is determined by the stretching of the hand to the zipper, not too high.
• There's plenty of space down there to get the whole fire blanket to be pulled out completely and spread out.
• Don't cover it with groceries, pots or hooks, and pull it out.
• Both the housekeepers and the employees need to know how the fire blankets are hanging and how to use them.

Maintenance and inspection

• Periodically (e.g. monthly) check the complete wall bags, pull belts out and unpressed.
• Occasionally, it opens to check if the body has broken holes, burn marks, molds or fractures, and then folds back into the bag as it was.
• No washing, especially with a washing machine, and glass fibres can be broken by folding and rubbing, affecting fire safety.
• Don't be a common rag or an insulation pad.
• Once used for inspection: Light fire blankets are usually used once and replaced when used; heavy fire blankets are replaced if burned, hard or thin.
• The fire blankets in the licensed premises, which are required by the Fire Services Department, are inspected every 12 months by the registered contractor and obtained FS251; the voluntary domestic fire blankets have been exempted from the statutory annual inspection since 2024, but are still recommended for their own periodic inspection.

10. Fire blankets and fire extinguishers can be replaced by each other?

No, the two are complementary.

Item	Fire blankets.	Dry powder extinguishers
Best used	Cooking oil boilers in containers, clothes on fire.	Large-scale, not limited to initial fire from containers: paper, cloth, wood, electrical, fuel
Operation	Pull, stretch, guard, cover, do not aim.	Draw, aim, push, sweep. Keep your distance.
After.	There's no residue, but it's usually replaced.	Keep low powder to clean and used cartridges to fill or replace.
It's not working.	The fire is burning out of the pot. It's wide open.	Battery fires with large amounts of oil (dry powder may raise hot oil)

For families in general, the ideal basic configuration is: a blanket with a kitchen entrance, and a 2kg dry powder extinguisher near the corridor or the gate. This combination is already able to take care of most of the home's initial fire alarms. To compare fire extinguishers with different capacity, Fire Extinguishers & Fire Safety Products.

XI. Day-to-day kitchen fire-proof stickers

• Cooking is always done: the fire department reminds you to watch the stove when cooking, so you have to leave and put out the fire.
• Control the temperature of the oil: If you see a smoke, you have to put out the fire, not wait for the fire.
• Cleaning of oil: regular cleaning of oil from the smoker, stove head and exhaust throat, fire department documentation also warns that the accumulation of oil can cause fire alarms.
• Flammable materials are far from the head of the stove: towels, kitchen paper, rubber bags, oil-eating oils are not on fire.
• Power safety: stand-alone outlets for large power appliances, such as furnaces, electromagnetic furnaces, and no towboards.
• Oil gas: air aerobics are in direct ventilated position, their throats are regularly checked, the scent is not turned on, windows are opened, air brakes are turned off, and they leave for help.
• The elderly and the children: the elders can use stoves with automatic fire extinguishing; the children are taught to call them adults when they see fire.

XII. Where do you buy a compliance blanket?

According to Article 3 of the Fire Protection (Equipment and Equipment) Regulations, Chapter 95B , all hand-held fire suppression equipment (including blankets) must be approved by the Fire Commissioner. They can be supplied or sold in Hong Kong first. The selection process is based on the selection of products with a formal source and a recognized label, which can be identified with the "handheld `sweeping' function of a mobile fire department application.

Fire Station is a fire extinguisher specialty located in Tsuen Wan, along with a fire-fighting specialty shop, which supplies fire-fighting blankets approved by the fire department, and fire-fighting blankets approved by the fire department. All products are sold at special prices, and basic deliveries are package d and delivered by the Hong Kong New Territories.

If you need to set up a restaurant or a commercial, you can give us whatsApp from the fire department for fire safety regulations. We can offer the required specifications and arrange to install the FS251 certificates at the door with a third-level fire operator.Fire Extinguisher Rental in Hong Kong. Query pleaseWhatsApp 96309976Call.3464 3987Or go.Contact Fire Station。

Frequent issues FAQ

What Is a Fire Blanket, and How Does It Put Out a Fire?

The Fire Services Department states that fire blankets are flexible in order to prevent fire material (e.g., fibreglass) from being manufactured, and that they are covered by fire to effectively extinguish small fires, such as those caused by burning cooking oil in the kitchen. The principle is that fire is isolated from air and the fire is extinguished when oxygen is lost.

What Fire Blanket Types Are Available and Approved by the FSD?

Fire Protection Notice No. 11 of the Fire Services Department divides fire blankets into two categories: heavy fire blankets (which meet BS 7944) and light blankets (which meet BS EN 1869). It was also noted that only heavy and reusable fire blankets could be accepted as equipment required by the Fire Services Department. Home voluntary settings can choose the appropriate approved product, and the place where the card is held is subject to the fire department.

How many fire blankets do you need at the restaurant?

The Fire Services Department's Fire Services Department's " Fire Services in Places with Cards " means that a 1.44 square metre fire-fighting blanket is generally required for each oven, depending on the size of the furnace.

Can You Put Water on a Cooking-Oil Fire?

Never. Water exposure to high-temperature cooking oils will melt instantaneously, spilling burning oil around it, spreading the fire rapidly. The right course is to shut down the fire in safety, then completely cover the pan with fire blankets or pan caps, and keep it covered until it cools.

Can a Fire Blanket Be Reused After a Fire?

Light fire-fighting blankets (BS EN 1869) are usually used once and should be replaced when used; The BS EN 1869:2019 version also explicitly requires initial use and disposal. The Fire Services Department means that only heavy and reusable fire blankets may be accepted as equipment required by the Fire Services Department. Any fire-fighting blankets should be inspected and if burned, broken or hardened, replaced.

Where should the fire blanket be hanging?

Each kitchen should have a fire-fighting blanket in the eye far from the boiler and ensure that there is sufficient space to pull out below, usually on the wall near the kitchen entrance, at an accessible height, and not above the top of the stove.

Can fire blankets replace fire extinguishers?

The family suggests that a blanket be mounted on the kitchen entrance and that a 2kg dry powder extinguisher be placed on the door or corridor.

Where can I get a fire blanket approved by the fire department?

Fire Services Department must approve all hand-held fire-fighting equipment, which can be supplied or sold in Hong Kong. G/F, Karrie Industrial Centre, Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan The fire-fighting blankets and fire extinguishers have been approved by the Supply and Fire Services Department for sale at a special price and basic deliveries have been contracted. 3464 3987 ，WhatsApp 96309976 。

A blanket, together with the three habits of "cooking, watering, covering, etc." have already been able to defuse most of the initial fire in the kitchen. And with a qualified fire extinguish er in the hallway, the house or restaurant will have a solid safeguard. Think of a match at a time to see Home Fire Safety Essentialsor Contact Fire Station.