After a Kitchen or Grease Fire: What to Do Next

Fire-damaged kitchen with soot-covered cabinets, ash on counters and an opened ceiling

Most kitchen fires start on the stove, and many are put out in seconds with a lid or an extinguisher. But even a small grease fire leaves behind more than a scorched pan. Burning grease and food give off a sticky, oily smoke residue that coats cabinets, walls and ceilings, settles into the range hood and nearby rooms, and leaves a strong odor that household cleaners usually can't remove. Here's what to do once the flames are out.

Need help right now? Call or text MaxClean Restoration at 732-539-2942 · Text us Open 24/7 and usually on site within an hour in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.

Step by step: what to do right now

  1. Make sure the fire is completely out. If flames spread beyond the pan, reached the cabinets, hood or wall, or you're not sure, get everyone out and call 911. Fire can keep burning inside a range hood, duct or wall where you can't see it. Even if you put it out yourself, it's worth having the fire department check.
  2. Turn off the stove and let everything cool. Leave the pan where it is. Moving a hot pan of grease can spill it and start the fire again or cause burns.
  3. Air out the kitchen by opening windows, as long as it's safe. Keep kids, pets and anyone with breathing problems out of the smoky area.
  4. Turn off the HVAC system if smoke spread past the kitchen, so it doesn't pull soot and odor through the whole house.
  5. Document everything with photos and video before anything is cleaned or thrown away, including the stove, hood, cabinets, ceiling and any rooms that smell like smoke.
  6. Call your insurance company to report the fire and get a claim number.
  7. Call a fire and smoke restoration company. Grease smoke residue keeps staining and its odor keeps spreading the longer it sits. MaxClean handles smoke and soot cleanup, odor removal, extinguisher residue, and rebuilding cabinets and walls: 732-539-2942.
Soot-stained kitchen pantry cabinets and refrigerator under an opened fire-damaged ceiling

What NOT to do

  • Don't ever put water on a grease fire, now or next time. It makes burning grease splatter and spread. Smother it with a lid, turn off the heat, or use a fire extinguisher rated for kitchen fires.
  • Don't try to scrub greasy smoke residue off walls, ceilings or cabinets with water or household cleaners. It smears and can set the stain.
  • Don't use the stove, range hood, microwave or nearby appliances until they've been checked.
  • Don't eat food, or use medicine or cosmetics, that were near the fire, heat or smoke.
  • Don't spread fire extinguisher powder around with a broom or a household vacuum. Keep people and pets out of it and let it be cleaned up properly.
  • Don't cover the smell with air fresheners or candles. Masking sprays don't remove smoke odor.
  • Don't throw anything away before it's documented for your insurance claim.

When to call a professional

  • The fire reached the range hood, cabinets, wall or ceiling.
  • You see a sticky, yellow-brown or black film on surfaces, even in rooms the fire didn't reach.
  • A smoke smell is still there after airing the house out.
  • A fire extinguisher was used and powder is on surfaces, inside cabinets or on electronics.
  • Smoke got into the HVAC system, or you smell smoke when the heat or A/C comes on.
  • Water from putting out the fire soaked cabinets, flooring or the ceiling below.
Charred kitchen cabinets and soot-covered counters after a kitchen fire

Working with your insurance

We work directly with your insurance company and send the invoice to your carrier for you; you're responsible for your deductible and anything your policy doesn't cover.

In New Jersey, homeowners usually have the right to choose their own restoration contractor. We specialize in working with both homeowners and insurance companies to make sure the work is properly documented and covered, so your home gets back to its pre-loss condition.

Learn more on our insurance claims page or our fire and smoke damage restoration page.

Printable checklist

After a Kitchen or Grease Fire: What to Do Next: Checklist

  • ☐ Fire completely out (911 called if it spread or you're unsure)
  • ☐ Stove off, pan left in place to cool
  • ☐ Kitchen aired out, kids and pets kept away
  • ☐ HVAC left OFF if smoke spread
  • ☐ Photos and video of all damage
  • ☐ Stove, hood and nearby appliances left off until checked
  • ☐ Insurance claim reported and number written down
  • ☐ Restoration company called
  • ☐ MaxClean Restoration 24/7: 732-539-2942

Frequently asked questions

It was a small fire and I put it out fast. Do I really need professional cleanup? Often, yes. Burning grease and food give off an oily residue that's hard to see at first but coats cabinets, walls, ceilings and the inside of the range hood, and the odor spreads into nearby rooms. If you see a film on surfaces or still smell smoke after airing the house out, have it inspected.

Why does my kitchen still smell like smoke after I cleaned it? Smoke from burned grease and food sticks to every surface and soaks into drywall, cabinets and fabrics. Wiping the surfaces you can see usually leaves residue behind. Professional cleaning of every surface, followed by deodorization methods like thermal fogging and hydroxyl treatment, removes smoke odor in most homes.

How do I clean up fire extinguisher powder? Keep people and pets out of it, and don't sweep it or use a household vacuum, which spreads it around. Dry chemical powder can be irritating and can damage electronics and metal if it's left sitting. We clean it up as part of kitchen fire cleanup.

Who pays for kitchen fire cleanup? Fire is usually covered under most homeowner policies. We work directly with your insurance company and send the invoice to your carrier for you; you're responsible for your deductible and anything your policy doesn't cover.

Can I choose my own restoration contractor after a kitchen fire? In New Jersey, homeowners usually have the right to choose their own restoration contractor. We specialize in working with both homeowners and insurance companies to make sure the work is properly documented and covered, so your home gets back to its pre-loss condition.

Get ready before it happens: build a free emergency plan for your home (shutoff locations, emergency contacts, maintenance reminders) at plan.maxcleanrestoration.com.

Need help right now? Call or text MaxClean Restoration at 732-539-2942 · Text us Open 24/7 and usually on site within an hour in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.

Related: fire and smoke damage restoration · All Resource Center guides · Insurance claim help · Free home emergency plan

MaxClean Restoration, 11 Bannard Street, Freehold, NJ · IICRC Certified Firm · NJ HIC #13VH12188600 Open 24/7 and usually on site within an hour across Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.