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Chip pan fire: extinguisher spray or fire blanket

Updated: 20 October 2026

The listing says grease, or cooking oil, and you are standing in a kitchen wondering whether to spray the pan. Do not. A chip pan fire is the case where an extinguisher jet can throw burning oil out of the pan, and several UK fire services say so in plain words. If you are unsure, leave the room, close the door, and call 999. Never use water. Peter F. set this page against London Fire Brigade, GOV.UK, Bedfordshire, Hampshire and West Sussex. The sprays those bullets belong to are on our [fire extinguishing spray comparison](/hub/fire-protection/fire-extinguishing-spray). We did not burn oil in a pan. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The listing says grease, or cooking oil, and you are standing in a kitchen wondering whether to spray the pan. Do not.

Our top picks

Super Help Super Help Fire Stop 400 ml

Best overall

Super Help Super Help Fire Stop 400 ml
7.6/10about £11.99
View offer
PLEMO PLEMO F62N all-in-1 spray

Alternative

PLEMO PLEMO F62N all-in-1 spray
3.7/10about £12.99
View offer
Kidde Kidde Flame Out 500 ml

Best value

Kidde Kidde Flame Out 500 ml
4.6/10about £18.37
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On this page
  1. 1.Why a spray is the wrong default
  2. 2.What London and other services tell you to do
  3. 3.Blanket versus getting out
  4. 4.What a Class F mark does not change

Why a spray is the wrong default

Oil burns on the surface of the pan. A jet — powder, water-based spray, or any extinguisher with force — can push that surface over the rim. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue says do not use a fire extinguisher on a pan of oil because the force can spread it, then leave, close the door and call 999. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue says never use an extinguisher on a chip pan. West Sussex says an extinguisher jet can spread a pan fire. The steps for a very small fire that is not a pan of oil are on how to use a fire extinguisher spray. Do not import them onto a chip pan.

What London and other services tell you to do

London Fire Brigade’s pan-fire page says you do not tackle it. You do not move the pan. You never use water. You turn the heat off only if you can do it safely, which means without leaning across the flames. Then you leave, close the door, and call 999. GOV.UK’s home fire-safety text matches that: do not tackle a pan fire, and never use water. Call 999 even if you think the oil has died down. Fat relights.
Super Help Super Help Fire Stop 400 ml

Testsieger

Super Help Super Help Fire Stop 400 ml
7.6/10about £11.99
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Blanket versus getting out

Hampshire still names a tool: a fire blanket, or a damp cloth, if it is safe to smother a small pan. West Sussex also points at a blanket if you have one. Both still warn you off the extinguisher jet. London says do not tackle the pan at all. If you are unsure, leave, close the door and call 999. A fire blanket, where you already know how to use one and the fire is still a small pan you can approach without leaning into flame, is the thing those services name instead of a spray. You lay it over the pan from the near side, covering the oil so the air is cut off, and you leave it there. You do not whip it off to check. If you have not practised, or the flames are already above the pan, you are in London’s case, not Hampshire’s. Get out. A spray labelled “grease” does not become a blanket. Who each spray is for, once you are back to paper and waste, is the best fire extinguisher spray page.

What a Class F mark does not change

Class F is the British class for cooking oil and fat. A rating such as 5F means a specific test fire of that fuel. It is not permission to stand over your own chip pan and ignore the fire service. None of the five sprays in this set prints 5F in the listings and sheets we reviewed. Kidde names grease and says the Flame Out is not a replacement for a BS EN 3 extinguisher. That is an honest limit. It is still not a kitchen method. Labels, expiry and the difference between a fuel word and a rating are the fire extinguishing spray buying guide. For the pan that is already alight, the can is the wrong question.

Common questions

Can I spray a chip pan?
No. Bedfordshire, Hampshire and West Sussex all warn that an extinguisher on a pan of oil can spread the fire, and Hampshire says never use one on a chip pan. London says do not tackle the pan. A “grease” or “cooking oil” line on a Kidde or PLEMO listing does not overrule that. Leave, close the door and call 999 if you are unsure.
Is a fire blanket better?
Where a service still names a tool, it is a fire blanket on a small pan, not a spray. Hampshire also allows a damp cloth only if smothering is safe. London does not tell you to tackle the pan at all. If you are unsure you can cover the pan without leaning over it, the blanket is not the better idea. Getting out is.
Why must I not use water?
Water under hot oil turns to steam and throws burning oil out of the pan. GOV.UK and London Fire Brigade both say never use water on a pan fire. A spray that is water-based is still a jet of liquid, which is why the extinguisher warning and the water warning sit side by side. Neither is a substitute for getting out.
Does “Class F” or “grease” on the can change the fire-service advice?
No. Grease on the Kidde listing is a fuel word, and this set does not print a 5F rating. A real Class F mark would be a test claim about a laboratory fire. It would still not be an instruction to fight your pan against London’s “do not tackle it” or Bedfordshire’s warning about the jet.
Should I move the pan to the sink?
No. London says do not move the pan. Carrying burning oil, or sliding it towards the sink, is how the fire leaves the hob and lands on the floor, your hands, or the units. Leave it where it is. The fire and rescue service would rather find a pan on the cooker than a trail of oil through the kitchen.
When do I turn the hob off?
Only if you can reach the control without leaning over the pan. If you hesitate, leave the heat on and get out. As soon as flames are in the oil and you are not sure you can smother a small pan with a blanket you know how to use, it is the fire service’s job. Call 999, stay out, and do not go back to check the pan.

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Sources

Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings named in the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. BSI BS 6165:2019 summary, small disposable aerosol extinguishers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 13 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Fire safety in the home (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. London Fire Brigade: pan fires (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Firechief FLE500 technical sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. BAFE: extinguisher for a small lithium-ion battery (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Kidde KFS-500 user guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Super Help Fire Stop technical data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)