A fire blanket smothers a small fire by cutting off its oxygen. It's ideal for a pan fire, or for wrapping someone whose clothes are on fire – and it's a staple of UK fire safety.
Where to Put One
Mount it on the wall in the kitchen, near the exit and away from the cooker, so you can reach it without leaning over the flames.
Which Size?
As a general guide:
- 1.0m × 1.0m or 1.1m × 1.1m – home kitchens.
- 1.2m × 1.2m – small commercial kitchens.
- Larger sizes (1.8m × 1.2m and 1.8m × 1.8m) – larger commercial kitchens and deep fat fryers. These are also large enough to wrap around a person, so they're the right choice where clothing fires are a risk, such as workshops, laboratories and welding areas.
How to Use It on a Pan Fire
- Turn off the heat, if it's safe to.
- Hold a tape in each hand and pull sharply down to release the blanket. The tapes are fixed to one side of the blanket.
- Keep hold of the tapes and hold the blanket up in front of you, so it shields your hands and body from the heat.
- Lay the blanket over the pan, away from you. Don't throw it.
- Leave it in place until everything has cooled completely. Don't lift it to check – the fire can flare up again.
Clothing Fires: Stop, Drop and Roll
If someone's clothes catch fire:
- Stop – don't run, as moving fans the flames.
- Drop – lie down on the ground.
- Roll – roll over and over, covering the face with the hands, to smother the flames.
If you have a fire blanket, wrap it around the person to help smother the flames. Once the fire is out, cool any burns under cool running water for 20 minutes and call 999.
Fire blankets are single-use. Once used, replace it.
Quality Matters – You Get What You Pay For
Fire blankets should be made to the current British and European Standard, BS EN 1869:2019, which replaced the old 1997 version.
Online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Temu, and many overseas websites, are flooded with cheap, sub-standard fire blankets. Consumer tests – including one on Dutch television – have shown some to be very unsafe, and some even burnt through. When a fire blanket might be all that stands between you and a fire, it's worth paying for a good one.
How to Spot a Good Fire Blanket
- Look for a well-known brand with a UK address you can check, preferably printed on the front or back of the blanket.
- Look for the BSI Kitemark (BSI is the British Standards Institution) – a sign that the blanket has been independently tested and approved by BSI.
- Be wary of a CE mark. CE marking doesn't apply to fire blankets, so a blanket can't be "CE approved". A CE mark printed next to the standard on the front is a good sign it's fake or sub-standard.
Worth remembering… your fire risk assessment is what decides the equipment your premises need. This guide is general advice, not a substitute for it.
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