Why does adding water to an oil fire make it exponentially worse?

Question

Why does adding water to an oil fire make it exponentially worse?

In: 2

Answer 1

When you add water to a grease fire, it can make the fire worse because water and grease don’t mix. The water sinks to the bottom and turns into steam, which pushes the burning grease up and out of the pan, spreading the fire.

This is why they tell you to smother grease fires or use an extinguisher instead.