How do you clean up after a kitchen fire?

To clean up after a kitchen fire, make sure the fire is fully out and the room is safe, ventilate, and photograph everything before you touch it. Then throw out any food that was exposed to heat, smoke or extinguisher chemicals, vacuum loose soot and extinguisher powder, and clean from the ceiling down with a degreasing cleaner, since kitchen smoke is usually oily. A small stovetop flare-up confined to one burner is often a do-it-yourself job, but if smoke stained the ceiling and cabinets, got into the range hood duct, or spread into other rooms, professional cleaning is usually the better call.

Kitchen fires are different from other house fires. The smoke comes from burning grease, oil and food, which leaves a sticky, smelly film instead of the dry, powdery soot from wood or paper. That changes how you clean it. Here’s how to tackle it in the right order.

First, is it safe to start?

Before any cleanup, make sure:

• The fire is completely out, and the burner, oven or appliance is off
• If the fire department came, they’ve told you it’s OK to go back in
• Nothing is still smoking, hot or smells like burning plastic or wiring
• The appliance that caught fire is unplugged or its breaker is off
• If you have a gas range and smell gas, you’ve left and called the gas utility

The U.S. Fire Administration’s guide on what to do after a fire covers re-entry safety and next steps in more detail.

What to do first: the cleanup order

Work in this sequence. Skipping ahead, like scrubbing walls before vacuuming soot, tends to make things worse.

1. Ventilate. Open windows and run a box fan blowing out of a window. Leave the HVAC off until you know smoke didn’t get into the ducts, or change the filter before running it.
2. Document. Take photos and video of the stove, cabinets, ceiling, walls and any damaged items before you clean or throw anything out.
3. Protect yourself. Wear gloves, old clothes, eye protection and a well-fitting N95 mask. Soot and extinguisher powder are irritating to breathe.
4. Clear out food. Get rid of exposed food before you start cleaning so it doesn’t get handled or eaten by mistake.
5. Remove loose residue. Vacuum extinguisher powder and loose soot with a HEPA vacuum or a shop vac with a fine filter.
6. Clean top to bottom. Ceiling, then upper walls and upper cabinets, then counters, then lower cabinets and floors.
7. Handle appliances last, and have any that were in or near the fire checked before using them again.

What to throw out, and what to keep

Food is the easiest call: when in doubt, throw it out. Smoke, heat and extinguisher chemicals can contaminate food in ways you can’t see or taste.

• Discard: any food left out in the open, food in permeable packaging like cardboard boxes, bags and plastic wrap, anything in the pantry if smoke got inside, and anything with a smoky smell or soot on it.
• Discard: canned goods that were exposed to high heat, or cans that are bulging, rusted or dented.
• Check the fridge. A well-sealed refrigerator usually protects its contents, but if the power went out or smoke got inside, or anything smells like smoke, toss it.
• Dishes and cookware: metal, glass and ceramic pieces in closed cabinets can usually be washed and reused. Plastic utensils, cutting boards and anything that melted or warped should go.

Cleaning up fire extinguisher powder

If you used a dry chemical extinguisher, the fine yellow or white powder gets everywhere, including inside drawers and appliances. The common ABC type can be mildly corrosive to metal and electronics over time, so clean it up soon rather than leaving it for days.

• Vacuum as much as you can first. Don’t sweep, since it just stirs the powder into the air.
• For residue left on surfaces, follow the cleanup instructions on the extinguisher label. Many recommend wiping with warm water, sometimes with a little baking soda mixed in, then drying the surface.
• Pay attention to stovetop knobs, appliance vents and electrical outlets, and don’t spray water into anything electrical.

Getting grease smoke off ceilings, walls and cabinets

Kitchen smoke residue is oily, which means plain water just smears it. Here’s what tends to work better.

Start with a dry sponge

For light, dry soot on flat painted walls and ceilings, a dry chemical soot sponge (sold at hardware stores) can lift a lot of residue without smearing it. Wipe in one direction and turn the sponge often.

Then degrease

For sticky, greasy residue, use a mild degreasing cleaner or dish soap and warm water. Test a hidden spot first, especially on painted cabinets and wood finishes. Work in small sections and rinse your cloth often. Change the water as soon as it turns gray.

Cabinets, inside and out

Empty the cabinets near the fire and clean the insides too, since smoke gets into closed spaces. Painted and finished wood cabinets usually clean up well if the damage is light. Cabinets that blistered, charred or warped from heat usually need to be replaced. If firefighting water got into the base cabinets, our post on when cabinets need removal after a leak explains what to look for.

Range hood and ductwork

The range hood pulls smoke and grease right through its filters and up the duct. Wash or replace the filters, and clean the inside of the hood. If the fire went up into the hood, or you’re not sure, have the duct checked, since grease buildup in a duct is a fire risk of its own.

Appliances that were in or near the fire

Don’t assume an appliance is fine because it turns on. Heat can damage wiring, gas valves, seals and controls.

• Have a range, cooktop or oven that caught fire inspected by a qualified technician before using it again, especially a gas unit.
• A microwave that had a fire inside should generally be replaced.
• Small appliances like toasters and air fryers that were involved in a fire should be thrown out.
• Check the refrigerator gasket and the area behind the fridge for soot and heat damage.

Two kitchen fires, two different cleanups

Say a pan of oil catches fire on the stovetop on a weeknight, and you smother it with a lid and turn off the burner within a few seconds. There’s a dark smudge on the backsplash, a greasy film on the range hood, and a smell that lingers in the kitchen. That’s a cleanup most homeowners can handle: ventilate, wash the hood filters, degrease the backsplash and cabinets nearest the stove, and wipe down the counters.

Now picture a holiday dinner where something in the oven catches fire, the smoke alarm goes off, and the smoke billows out across the kitchen and into the dining and living rooms before anyone gets the oven door shut. Someone uses the extinguisher, and powder coats the stove, counters and floor. The ceiling over the range is stained, the upper cabinets are filmed with grease, and the whole first floor smells like smoke. That’s a job for professional cleaning, because the residue is spread across several rooms, soft furnishings and probably the HVAC system.

When to call a professional

DIY makes sense for small, contained fires. Bring in professional help if:

• Smoke or soot spread beyond the kitchen
• The ceiling, upper cabinets or walls are visibly stained over a large area
• There’s heat damage to cabinets, counters, flooring or the wall behind the stove
• The fire department used water and the cabinets, subfloor or ceiling below got wet
• Smoke odor is still strong after a few days of cleaning and airing out
• Smoke may have been pulled into the HVAC system

Professional fire restoration crews use specialized cleaning products for protein and grease residues, HEPA air filtration, and odor treatments. They can also tell you what’s worth cleaning and what should be replaced. Coverage for fire damage depends on your policy, so photograph everything and keep damaged items until your adjuster has seen them. Our guide on documenting damage for insurance has a useful checklist that applies to fire losses too.

Preventing the next kitchen fire

Most kitchen fires start with unattended cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you’re frying, grilling or broiling. Keep a lid nearby to smother a pan fire, and never throw water on burning grease. Keep towels, oven mitts and paper away from burners. The NFPA’s cooking safety tips are worth a read before the holiday cooking season gets busy.

Areas we serve

Our fire damage repair team handles kitchen fire cleanup, smoke and soot removal, and rebuilding. In Smyrna and nearby communities we’re typically on site within about 60 minutes.

We also serve Murfreesboro with 24/7 response, and we respond quickly across the area. Call us any time at (629) 250-3594 or request a free estimate. We’ll look at the damage, tell you honestly what you can clean yourself and what needs a pro, and document it for your insurance claim.