Fire Marshal Alerts Restaurants To Fire Risks During Cororavirus

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Scaling back or shutting down operations at restaurants and other food establishments due to the coronavirus crisis may expose the businesses to additional fire risk if certain precautions are not taken, according to the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered restaurants to close for dining-in and stay open only for pickup or delivery. On Monday, Northam also issued a stay-at-home order for all Virginians. Local businesses have been hit pretty hard by these restrictions. Some restaurants are closed until further notice. Other restaurants are learning to adapt and continue to operate.

For the restaurants that have remained open, their kitchens are being used to make food and dishes for carryout or delivery. Inside these larger restaurant-sized kitchens, certain grease traps, automatic grease interceptors, or automatic grease recovery units may have internal heating elements to keep the grease in a liquid state. The heaters require water to be in the system to prevent damage to the unit or to prevent potential fires, according to the fire marshal's office.

As a safety precaution, all restaurants and food preparation businesses with various types of grease trap systems should follow the manufacturer’s recommended shutdown procedures if the businesses plan to close during the coronavirus crisis.

Grease is one of the most dangerous fire hazards in restaurant kitchens because of how quickly it can build up and how flammable it is once a fire breaks out. Grease traps that are not cleaned may have pieces of food that can easily catch fire when more hot grease is added. Grease residue also can build up quickly on exhaust hoods, ducts, and any other grease-removal device and can easily catch fire.

According to the most recent data from the National Fire Protection Association, fire in eating and drinking establishments resulted in 110 civilian injuries and $165 million in direct property damage on an annual basis.

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For many of these grease trap units, it is recommended that water be run for at least three minutes before shutting down the equipment. After running the water, the unit should be unplugged from the electricity to prevent the heating element from continuing to operate. It may help to place a reminder on the unit in order to remember to re-energize the unit before returning to normal operations, the fire marshal said.

If a business plans to remain open but at a reduced level of operation, it may be helpful to ensure that water is run into the sink and the grease capture system regularly to protect the equipment and minimize fire risk, according to the fire marshal.

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