Baking soda for small grease and electrical fires

As the fire's heat breaks baking soda down, it releases carbon dioxide that blankets the flames and cuts off their oxygen, while the breakdown itself soaks up heat and cools the fire. It only works on an incipient flare-up still contained in a single pan, though. For anything larger than a brief flash in the pan, reach instead for a metal pan lid, a Class K wet-chemical extinguisher made for cooking-oil fires, or a standard ABC or BC dry-chemical extinguisher.

• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), at least 1 pound in a dedicated labeled container

1. Keep a dedicated container of at least 1 pound of baking soda within arm's reach of your cooking area at all times. Label it clearly as baking soda, both so no one uses it up for cooking or cleaning and so no one grabs baking powder or flour by mistake in an emergency, since those can flare up and make a grease fire worse. Choose a wide-mouth container that can be grabbed and opened in a single motion.
2. If a small grease fire starts, turn off the heat first if you can do so safely. The single most effective move is to slide a metal pan lid over the pan, metal rather than glass, which can shatter, smothering the fire without spreading burning grease. If no lid is on hand, dump generous handfuls of baking soda over the fire from directly above, not from the side, since pouring from the side can flick burning grease and flame outward and spread the fire.
3. For small electrical fires such as outlet sparks or an appliance flare-up, kill power at the breaker or unplug the device first if safely possible, then apply baking soda to the base of the flames. Never use water on electrical fires.
4. If the fire does not go out within a few seconds or continues to grow, stop trying, evacuate immediately, and close doors behind you to slow the fire's spread. Call emergency services if available. Baking soda suppresses only small, contained flare-ups and cannot control an established fire.

Store in a clearly labeled, sealed, dry container near cooking areas or heating appliances with indefinite shelf life when kept dry. Check periodically to confirm the container is still full, accessible, and sealed against humidity. Best container: sealed HDPE container or glass jar, keep moisture-free. Avoid metal in humid conditions (promotes corrosion). See the Containers section.