In a Type F fire, what is burning is cooking oils and fats , such as deep- frying oil, vegetable oil, and animal fats typically found in fryers, pans, and other kitchen equipment.

What is burning in a Type F fire?

  • Type F (or Class F) fires involve cooking oils and fats that have been heated to very high temperatures, usually in kitchens.
  • Common examples include oil in chip pans, deep-fat fryers, woks, or frying pans using vegetable oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil, or animal fat.

Why Type F fires are dangerous

  • Cooking oils and fats ignite at very high temperatures (around 340°C), so once burning, they can flare up violently and spread quickly.
  • Using water on a Type F fire can cause the burning oil to explode upwards and outwards, spreading flames and causing severe burns.

How they are meant to be extinguished

  • Type F fires are specifically meant to be tackled with wet chemical extinguishers , designed for cooking oil and fat fires.
  • These extinguishers work by cooling the burning oil and creating a soapy layer (saponification) on top that starves the fire of oxygen and helps prevent re-ignition.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.