Kitchen fires are the most common home fires, and most are put out quickly. The fire may be gone in minutes, but the greasy smoke it made can coat the kitchen and drift into every room nearby.
Make sure the fire is really out
If the fire department came, follow their instructions before going back in. If you put it out yourself, check the range hood, the cabinets above the stove and the wall behind it for heat or smoke. If anything is warm or smoking, call 911.
Air the house out, carefully
Open windows to let smoke out, but keep the HVAC system off so it doesn't pull soot into the ducts.
Throw out food that was exposed
Food near the fire, in open containers or exposed to smoke and heat should go. So should anything in a fridge that lost power for hours.
Don't start scrubbing yet
Kitchen soot is greasy. Wiping it with a wet cloth smears it into paint and grout. Photograph everything first and let a restoration company tell you what needs professional cleaning.
Call your insurer if the damage is more than cosmetic
If smoke reached other rooms, cabinets are scorched or the range hood melted, a restoration company's written scope helps you decide whether a claim makes sense.
Quick checklist
- Fire out and area cool
- HVAC off
- Photos of every surface
- Exposed food thrown out
- Restoration company called for a look
General information, not advice for your specific policy or property. Updated October 2026.
