Fire blanket and wall canister

An oil fire in a pan is the one kitchen fire where reaching for an extinguisher is the wrong move — the discharge can throw burning oil out of the pan. A blanket smothers it in place.

1.2 by 1.2 metres of woven fibreglass in a wall canister with a quick-release pull, mounted by the kitchen door. It is also the right tool for clothing that has caught. Single use: if it has been on a fire, it goes in the bin, and we would rather say that than have someone re-hang a used one.

Fitting and care. Mount it by the kitchen door at the height of your hand, on the exit side, so reaching it never means passing the cooker. Pull the tabs straight down in one motion — practise the pull once, empty, so the movement is known. Cover the pan and turn the heat off; do not pull the pan out, and do not lift the blanket to look for at least half an hour. Single use. Once it has been on a fire it is finished, and it should go in the bin rather than back in the canister.