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What To Do After A Stove Fire

A stove fire can spread smoke, soot, and odours throughout a kitchen within minutes. Even when the flames stay near the stove, heat and smoke can affect cabinets, walls, ceilings, appliances, and nearby contents.

If you are wondering what to do after a stove fire, start with safety. Make sure the fire is completely out, follow instructions from the fire department when they attend, and do not use damaged electrical or gas appliances until they are safe to operate.

Call 416-800-0000

1. Stay Safe After a Stove Fire

Before cleaning anything, check whether the kitchen is safe to enter. A stove fire can damage electrical wiring, gas connections, cabinets, drywall, and other materials around the cooking area.

If firefighters attended the property, follow their instructions before re-entering or using the kitchen. In addition, avoid turning damaged appliances back on until a qualified professional has inspected them.

2. Never Use Water on a Grease or Stove Fire

If the incident involved cooking oil or grease, remember an important rule for the future: never pour water onto an oil or grease fire. Water can cause burning oil to spread and may make the fire significantly more dangerous.

Most importantly, get everyone to safety and call 911 when there is an active fire. If it is safe to do so, turn off the heat source and follow appropriate fire-safety procedures.

3. Check for Stove Fire Damage

Once the property is safe, inspect the immediate area around the stove. Look at the range hood, backsplash, cabinets, countertops, walls, ceiling, and nearby appliances.

Common signs of stove fire damage include:

• Black soot on walls or ceilings
• Smoke staining around cabinets
• Melted or damaged plastic
• Burned cabinet finishes
• Discoloured drywall or paint
• Strong smoke or burnt odours
• Heat-damaged appliances or wiring

Some damage may extend beyond the area where the flames were visible. Therefore, check adjoining rooms for smoke residue and odours as well.

4. Avoid Spreading Soot During Stove Fire Cleanup

Avoid wiping heavy soot with ordinary household cleaners before you understand the extent of the damage. Incorrect cleaning methods can smear residue and make some surfaces harder to restore.

Also, avoid carrying heavily contaminated items through unaffected rooms without protection. Soot particles can transfer to flooring, furniture, walls, and fabrics.

5. Check for Smoke Damage After a Stove Fire

Smoke can move quickly through doorways, hallways, stairwells, and ventilation systems. As a result, a relatively small stove fire can leave residue or odours in areas that were never directly exposed to flames.

Check ceilings, walls, furniture, curtains, and other surfaces in nearby rooms. If the HVAC system operated during the fire, the system and filters may also require assessment.

6. Ventilate After a Kitchen Fire When Safe

After the fire is completely extinguished and the property is safe, ventilation may help reduce lingering smoke and indoor pollutants. However, ventilation alone will not remove soot attached to walls, ceilings, cabinets, or contents.

Health Canada provides information about reducing exposure to indoor fine particulate matter. Learn more from Health Canada’s guidance on indoor fine particulate matter.

7. Document Stove Fire Damage Before Cleanup

Take clear photographs and videos before removing damaged materials or beginning extensive cleanup. Document the stove, cabinets, walls, ceilings, flooring, appliances, and affected contents.

Keep a list of damaged items and retain relevant receipts or invoices. If you plan to make an insurance claim, this documentation can help show the condition of the property after the fire.

8. Contact Your Insurance Company After a Kitchen Fire

If the fire caused significant damage, contact your insurer or insurance representative as soon as practical. Explain what happened and ask what documentation they require.

For larger losses, professional restoration documentation may include photographs, affected areas, cleaning requirements, damaged materials, equipment, and restoration work.

GTA Restoration can also provide insurance claims support for qualifying restoration projects.

9. Remove Smoke, Soot and Odours After a Stove Fire

Fire cleanup involves more than removing visibly burned materials. Smoke residue can settle on walls, ceilings, cabinets, appliances, furniture, and other surfaces.

Depending on the damage, professional cleanup may include HEPA vacuuming, surface cleaning, soot removal, contents cleaning, odour treatment, and removal of materials that cannot be restored.

Persistent smoke odours may also require professional odour removal after the affected surfaces have been properly cleaned.

10. Professional Stove Fire Cleanup and Restoration

A very small cooking incident may only require limited cleanup. However, professional restoration should be considered when soot covers multiple surfaces, smoke has travelled beyond the kitchen, building materials have burned, or strong odours remain after basic cleaning.

Professional assessment is also important when the fire affects electrical components, structural materials, ventilation systems, or a large section of the kitchen.

GTA Restoration provides fire and smoke damage restoration for homes and businesses throughout Toronto and the GTA.

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Need Help After a Stove or Kitchen Fire?

GTA Restoration provides fire, smoke, soot, and odour cleanup throughout Toronto and the GTA. We can assess the affected areas and help determine the appropriate restoration work.

Call 416-800-0000

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