What is a chip-pan fire?

Answer 1

The Stages of a chip pan fire

1.

Oil gets so hot that it catches fire all by itself

2.

Water is poured into the burning chip pan

3.

Water is denser than oil, so it sinks to the bottom of the chip pan (shown in red). As the water touches the bottom, it is heated above its boiling point and instantly vaporizes.

4.

The water vapour expands rapidly, ejecting a fireball of burning oil out of the chip pan and into the air where its surface area increases greatly and combustion proceeds much faster

Answer 2

A chip-pan fire is a type of kitchen fire that occurs when oil in a frying pan overheats and catches fire. It can be very dangerous and spread quickly if not dealt with immediately by turning off the heat source and covering the pan with a fire blanket or using a fire extinguisher.