How To Put Out a Gas Fire

Is your grill or cooktop on fire? In most cases, you can put out a gas fire with a fire extinguisher or soaking wet towels. Whether you are inside or outside, these steps explain how to put out gas fire fast and limit smoke and soot damage.

How To Put Out a Gas Fire in Your Home

You can put out any gas fire with these four simple steps.

1. Shut Off the Gas

If possible, turn off the gas immediately. While this might not put out the fire, it will slow it down and help keep it from spreading.

2. Smother a Gas Fire With a Metal Lid or Wet Towels

The best way to put out a small fire is to smother it with a heavy metal lid or wet towels. Clamp the lid down firmly to suffocate the flames. When using towels, thoroughly saturate them with water and toss them on the fire while dripping. Do not remove the lid or towels until the flames are out and the smoking stops.

3. Use a Class B Fire Extinguisher

Put out larger fires with a class B fire extinguisher. Class B extinguishers put out flammable liquids, including gas, grease, oil, and solvents. Spray the extinguisher back and forth across the flames until it puts out the fire. If the fire is out of control, keep the fire extinguisher between you and the flames. Then slowly back out of your home.

4. Call the Fire Department

Call the fire department immediately if you cannot put out the gas fire. Evacuate your home and wait across the street until the firefighters put the fire out. While they will use water, you should attempt that on your own. The volume and pressure of water from a fire hose will put out almost any fire. However, water from your faucet or garden hose can actually spread flames in a gas fire.

How To Put Out Fires Depending on the Source of the Gas

The steps above will work for most gas fires. However, here are some specialized steps depending on the source of the gas.

How Do You Put Out a Fire on a Propane Gas Grill or Natural Gas Burner?

1. Shut Off the Gas – Shut off the burner or propane tank.
2. Spray With a Fire Extinguisher – Put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.
3. Smother Remaining Flames – Smother any remaining flames or embers with a heavy metal lid of soaking wet towels.

How Do You Put Out a Gasoline Fire?

1. Spray With a Fire Extinguisher – Spray the gas fire with a fire extinguisher.
2. Smother Remaining Flames – Even if the fire is out, smother the area with soaking wet towels.
3. Smother the Gasoline Containers – Warm gas is more likely to leak and reignite, so smother the gas cans with wet towels to cool them off.
4. Safely Contain the Gasoline – Once cool, move the gas cans to a safe location and secure them to prevent future fires.

How Do You Put Out Burning Natural Gas in Your Home?

1. Shut Off the Gas – If you can safely reach the shutoff valve, turn off the gas to your home. However, do not risk getting injured just to shut off the gas.
2. Evacuate Your Home Immediately – Then evacuate your home. If necessary, use a fire extinguisher to block flames as you exit.
3. Call the Gas Company – Once you are safely outside and across the street, call the gas company.
4. Call the Fire Department – If there are flames, call the fire department.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gas Fires

What is Flammable gas?

Flammable gases are any gaseous substances that burn, combust, or explode when mixed with oxygen in the right proportions. Common flammable gases are propane, butane, methane, ethylene, ethane, and hydrogen. Gasoline is refined from petroleum and contains several flammable substances.

Is Gasoline Flammable?

While it’s better to call it combustible, gasoline is flammable. Because of the low flashpoint and a high vapor density, it’s actually gasoline vapors that are flammable.

What is Natural Gas?

Primarily made from methane, natural gas is a naturally occurring mixture of flammable gases. Colorless and odorless in its raw state, gas companies add odorizers to natural gas so you can smell leaks.

Is Natural Gas Flammable?

A safe and efficient fuel for cooking, natural gas is flammable and combustible. However, natural gas can explode if it builds up before catching fire.

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