In a fire, oil and water never mix

When it comes to putting out a grease fire on your stove, the most important thing to know is what not to do.

"You never want to put water on a grease fire," said Casidy Anderson, community risk reduction officer with the Minneapolis Fire Department. Water will not extinguish it and, even worse, may make the fire spread faster.

Kitchen fires are the No. 1 cause of home loss by fire in the United States. With indications that a grease fire was behind the blaze that destroyed two Minneapolis restaurants and two gift stores last week, it's time for a refresher course: How do you put out a grease fire?

A stove-top fire is sustained by three things: heat source, oxygen and fuel.

"So turn off the burner, and put a tight-fitting lid on the pan," said Anderson. That will shut down the supply of oxygen. "You never want to take whatever is on fire and bring it to the sink," she added. "You could end up getting burned, or something else could catch on fire as you're moving it."

Again, water won't help.

If the fire already has spread to the walls or cupboards, call 911 and get out of the house. "Let the fire department handle it," said Anderson.

You may have heard that baking soda can extinguish fires, and it can. "But you have to get pretty close, actually pouring the baking soda on the fire from above," Anderson said. Better to use a fire extinguisher. "Even the one-time-use ones are basically baking soda under pressure," Anderson said. "Make sure to aim at the base of the fire."

Familiarize yourself with how to use an extinguisher so you're not caught having to read directions as the flames rise, she said. And store it in a place that's safe, but easily accessible. "Don't store it behind the holiday dishes so it's out of the way."

Anderson said that most kitchen fires are preventable and caused either by people not paying attention or by leaving the room or even the house. She recommends turning off the heat if you have to leave the kitchen for any length of time.

"Then turn it back on when you return. We take this all for granted, thinking it's safe on low," she said. "You never think it will happen to you."