Why does putting water on a grease fire make it worse?
In: Chemistry
The grease is burning _much_ hotter than the boiling point of water. When you throw water on it, the water flash-boils and turns to steam instantly. This causes the grease to get thrown into the air along with the steam, forming small grease droplets in the air. These grease droplets then catch fire, causing a large fireball which can cause the fire to spread out of control.
If you have a grease fire, you should use a fire extinguisher rated for grease (B rated – which most of the ones you can buy at stores are). If you don’t have one, kill the heat source and smother the fire with a pot lid.
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