How to Safely Use a Fire Blanket (Step-by-Step)
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How to Safely Use a Fire Blanket (Step-by-Step)
A fire blanket is a simple first-response fire-safety product, but it must be used correctly. Incorrect deployment can expose the user to flames and heat, disturb burning oil or allow a fire to re-ignite.
This step-by-step guide explains how to use a conventional fire blanket safely on small, contained fires, including pan fires, clothing fires and appropriate small appliance fires.
The most important rule is simple: only attempt to use a fire blanket when the fire is small enough to cover completely and you can approach it without putting yourself at risk.
Before you use a fire blanket: check these safety conditions
Before approaching the fire, confirm that:
- the fire is small and contained;
- the entire burning area can be covered by the blanket;
- you have a clear escape route behind you;
- smoke and heat still allow a safe approach;
- there is no leaking gas, spreading fuel or other specialist hazard; and
- you can reach the blanket without moving towards or through the fire.
If any of these conditions are not met, do not attempt to use the fire blanket. Evacuate, close doors behind you where possible and contact the emergency services.
For more information about when a conventional fire blanket is appropriate, see How Fire Blankets Work and When to Use Them Safely →
Step-by-step: how to use a fire blanket safely
Step 1 – Switch off the heat or power source if it is safe
If possible, switch off the hob, cooking appliance or electrical supply without reaching across or through the fire.
Do not delay blanket deployment or put yourself at additional risk trying to reach a switch or control.
Step 2 – Remove the fire blanket from its container
Pull the release tabs firmly downward and remove the blanket completely from its bag or box.
The packaging format does not change the basic operating principle. A flexible safety bag can provide compact storage, while a rigid box can be useful for clearly visible, permanent wall-mounted installations.
Step 3 – Protect your hands
Hold the blanket by its upper corners or tabs and fold the upper edge back over your hands where the product instructions allow. Keep your hands behind the blanket so that the material forms a barrier between you and the heat.
Step 4 – Approach carefully
Keep the blanket between your body and the fire. Approach only as far as necessary to place it safely, while keeping your face away from rising heat and smoke. Maintain your escape route behind you.
Step 5 – Place the blanket gently over the fire
Lower the blanket carefully over the burning area so that it is covered completely. For a pan fire, cover the pan from the side nearest you towards the far side without leaning over the flames.
Do not throw the blanket. Throwing it may disturb burning material or splash burning oil.
Step 6 – Leave the blanket in place
Once the fire is covered, leave the blanket in position until the pan, appliance or burning object has cooled fully. Removing it too early can allow fresh oxygen to reach hot material and cause re-ignition.
Do not lift the blanket repeatedly to check whether the flames have gone out.
Step 7 – Replace the blanket after use on a fire
A conventional fire blanket is a single-use safety product. After deployment on an actual fire, replace it even when there is no obvious visible damage.
How to use a fire blanket on a pan fire
Small, contained cooking-oil and fat fires are one of the principal applications of a properly tested conventional fire blanket.
If a pan catches fire:
- do not move or carry the pan;
- never pour water onto burning oil or fat;
- switch off the heat source only if this can be done safely;
- protect your hands behind the blanket;
- place the blanket gently over the entire pan;
- leave the pan covered; and
- allow the pan and oil to cool completely before the blanket is removed.
Water can turn rapidly to steam and eject burning oil from the pan, causing the fire to spread and creating a severe burn hazard.
The DVM 1 × 1 m Fire Blanket Series has been independently tested by TÜV SÜD under controlled cooking-oil fire-test conditions in accordance with EN 1869:2019.
DVM is also extending its independent EN 1869:2019 test programme to the 1.2 × 1.8 m Fire Blanket Series. The corresponding TÜV SÜD documentation will be added when available.
View the TÜV SÜD test report and fire-test videos →
For more information, see Fire Blankets for Kitchens & Cooking Fires →
How to use a fire blanket on a person
If a person's clothing catches fire, the first instruction is stop, drop and roll. A sufficiently large fire blanket may then be used by another person to help smother remaining flames when this can be done safely.
- tell the person to stop, drop and roll;
- raise the alarm and contact the emergency services;
- remove the fire blanket and protect your hands behind it;
- approach carefully without stepping through flames;
- cover the burning clothing while keeping the person's face, mouth and nose clear;
- keep the person on the ground while the flames are being smothered; and
- after the flames are out, remove the blanket so appropriate burn cooling can begin.
Never cover the person's face or airway. Do not wrap the blanket tightly around the neck. Do not pull away clothing that has melted or adhered to the skin.
Within the DVM range, the 1.2 × 1.8 m fire blanket is the preferred size where clothing-fire preparedness is an identified risk, because it provides substantially greater body coverage than a 1 × 1 m blanket.
For detailed guidance, see Fire Blankets for Clothing Fires: Safe First Response →
How to use a fire blanket on an electrical appliance fire
Electricity is not a separate formal fire class in the European classification system, but energised equipment introduces additional shock and arc hazards.
A conventional fire blanket may be considered for a small appliance fire only when:
- the electrical supply has been isolated wherever safely possible;
- the fire remains confined to a small appliance or object;
- the entire burning area can be covered;
- there are no exposed live components within reach; and
- a clear escape route remains available.
Do not touch damaged wiring or the appliance. Do not use water on energised electrical equipment. If the power cannot be isolated, smoke is increasing or the fire has spread into surrounding materials, evacuate immediately.
Fire Blankets for Electrical Appliance Fires →
When should you NOT use a conventional fire blanket?
Do not attempt blanket deployment when:
- the fire is spreading rapidly;
- the burning area is larger than the blanket;
- flames cannot be covered completely;
- dense smoke or intense heat blocks safe access;
- the fire has spread to walls, cabinets, ceilings or structural elements;
- leaking gas or spreading fuel is involved;
- combustible metals or reactive chemicals are burning;
- a pressurised container may rupture;
- a developed lithium-ion battery fire is involved; or
- your escape route or personal safety may be compromised.
In these situations, evacuate and contact the emergency services. A fire blanket is first-response equipment for a limited, controllable fire — not a substitute for evacuation.
Which fire classes can a fire blanket be used on?
Fire-class terminology varies internationally. Under the European system, a conventional fire blanket is particularly relevant to small Class F cooking-oil and fat fires and can also assist with some small Class A solid-material or textile fires that can be completely covered.
It should not be relied upon for gas fires, combustible-metal fires, spreading fuel fires or other specialist hazards.
Which Fire Classes Can You Use a Fire Blanket On? →
Fire blanket vs fire extinguisher
Fire blankets and fire extinguishers serve different purposes. A blanket covers a small fire and restricts oxygen, while an extinguisher applies an extinguishing agent selected for the relevant fire type.
A fire blanket may be preferable for a small, fully coverable pan, clothing or appliance fire. An appropriate extinguisher may be preferable where more operating distance is required or where the identified fire risk requires a specific extinguishing agent.
In many homes and workplaces, the two products complement each other rather than replace each other.
Fire Blanket vs Fire Extinguisher: What Should You Choose? →
What size fire blanket should you use?
The blanket must be large enough to cover the expected fire completely while remaining manageable for the intended user.
A 1 × 1 m fire blanket is compact and suitable for many standard domestic pans and small appliance risks. A 1.2 × 1.8 m fire blanket provides substantially more surface area and is the preferred DVM size where greater coverage or clothing-fire preparedness is required.
What Size Fire Blanket Do I Need? →
EN 1869:2019 and safe fire-blanket use
DVM conventional fire blankets are specified against EN 1869:2019, the established European product standard for conventional fire blankets. For purchasers and users outside Europe, it can also provide a useful technical benchmark where no equivalent national fire-blanket product standard is specified.
EN 1869:2019 addresses product requirements and testing. It does not mean that a fire blanket is suitable for every fire, nor does it replace the need to follow local fire-safety rules, the product instructions and the emergency procedures for the location.
Fire Blanket Standards, Compliance & Certification →
Conventional Fire Blankets are not Fire Limitation Blankets
The instructions in this article apply to conventional fire blankets intended for small, contained fires.
A Fire Limitation Blanket (FLB) is a much larger specialist product intended for professional vehicle-fire scenarios, including electric vehicles. Its purpose, dimensions, deployment method and technical requirements are fundamentally different.
Do not apply the deployment instructions for a conventional EN 1869 fire blanket to a vehicle-sized Fire Limitation Blanket.
After using a fire blanket
Once the immediate danger has passed:
- follow the instructions of the emergency services;
- do not disturb the covered fire source until it is safe and fully cooled;
- ventilate or re-enter the area only when it is safe to do so;
- replace the deployed fire blanket; and
- review the incident and restore the fire-safety equipment for the location.
For routine checks and replacement guidance, see Fire Blanket Installation, Inspection & Replacement Guide →
Summary: safe fire-blanket use
- Only approach a small, contained fire that can be covered completely.
- Keep a clear escape route behind you.
- Switch off the heat or power source only when safe.
- Remove the blanket and protect your hands behind it.
- Approach carefully with the blanket between you and the fire.
- Place the blanket gently over the complete burning area.
- Leave it in place until the fire source has cooled fully.
- Replace the blanket after deployment on an actual fire.
Knowing these steps before an emergency is far more useful than trying to read the instructions while a fire is developing.