Guide
Emergency cleaning after a flare-up — triage steps
A cookline flare-up that trips suppression — or worse, enters the plenum — is not a normal hood day. Secondary post-fire guidance is consistent on the sequence: people and 911 first, do not DIY a duct fire, do not scrub the exhaust before the fire marshal releases the scene, then get the right vendors in the right order. This page is operator triage after the event is controlled: who to call, what not to touch, and what to document before you cook again. For the split between wet-chemical work and grease cleaning, see suppression system vs hood cleaning.
Short answer
If fire is active or anyone is at risk: evacuate, activate suppression / shut fuel if safe, call 911 — do not chase flames into the duct with a portable extinguisher. After the scene is safe and responders have control: notify the carrier promptly, pull your hood file, get on the suppression vendor’s and exhaust cleaner’s calendars — but do not deep-clean the exhaust until the AHJ releases it (it is evidence). Reopening typically needs AHJ clearance, suppression recharge/retag by a licensed fire-protection contractor, full-path exhaust cleaning to bare metal with a written report, and carrier authorization for repairs. Not firefighting, legal, or insurance advice.
Safety first (before any “emergency clean”)
- People out — Follow the house fire plan; guests and staff to marked exits.
- Activate suppression / shut fuel — Manual pull if trained; confirm gas/electric lockout. Do not cook again until the system is professionally restored.
- Call 911 — Especially if fire left the pan, entered the hood path, or you are unsure it is out.
- Class K is for small cookline flare-ups — Secondary Facilitec guidance: portable Class K is not for fires that have moved past the filters into the exhaust. If it is out of reach, it is out of your control.
- Do not open duct panels to “check” — Wait for responders / AHJ direction.
Who to call — and in what order (after control)
| Party | When | What they do | What they don’t do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 911 / fire department | Active fire, smoke in duct/roof, injuries, or doubt | Suppress, investigate, declare scene status | Not your long-term cleaning contractor |
| AHJ / fire marshal | After responders; before you deep-clean or reopen | Investigation, scene release, deficiency list, reopen approval | Does not recharge Ansul or degrease ducts |
| Licensed suppression contractor | Any discharge (or failed discharge) | Inspect, recharge, replace links/nozzles as needed, retag, verify fuel shutoff | Not a substitute for full exhaust grease cleaning |
| Qualified exhaust / hood cleaner | After AHJ release (secondary: often after or coordinated with suppression work) | Full-path clean toward bare metal; photo + written report; flag heat damage | Does not reset/recharge the wet-chemical system; does not fabricate duct |
| Insurance carrier / broker | Prompt notice (secondary: often 24–72 hours) | Claim number, adjuster requests, repair authorization | Does not clear the AHJ inspection |
| Mechanical / roofing (if needed) | When cleaner flags warped duct, failed seams, damaged fan, roof curb heat | Repair/replace damaged path | Not the same PO as a routine hood clean |
Secondary Facilitec framing: four sign-offs before cooking again — AHJ release, suppression recertification, exhaust cleaned and documented, carrier authorization for repairs. Sequence matters more than speed. Food Service Nerd (secondary): you do not reset suppression yourself after a discharge.
First 24 hours — operator checklist
- Do not scrub the exhaust yet — Until AHJ release, the system is evidence. Staff with a degreaser can hurt the cause determination and the claim (Facilitec secondary).
- Notify the carrier — Get a claim number; ask what the adjuster wants.
- Pull the pre-fire file — Labels, reports, photos, suppression tags for prior months (see how long to retain cleaning records).
- Call suppression + exhaust vendors for schedule — Book capacity; start work only when released.
- Discard food exposed to agent / smoke — Follow health-authority guidance; do not serve through residue.
- Photograph what you can safely — Exterior conditions, label dates, obvious damage — without disturbing the investigation area.
- Write a timeline — When flare-up started, what discharged, who called whom. One page helps every later conversation.
After release — defensible reopen path
- AHJ written release / deficiency list in hand
- Suppression vendor recharges, tests, retags — licensed fire protection
- Exhaust cleaner does full path (hood → duct → fan), bare-metal target, photos + report
- Heat-damaged sections handed to mechanical; roof to roofing if needed
- Carrier authorizes spend before you rebuild the duct
- Cooking stays off until AHJ says resume
Moves that create problems
- Staff “emergency wipe” of the hood before marshal release
- DIY suppression reset or cooking on a discharged system
- Canopy-only clean and calling it post-fire ready
- Assuming the cleaner will also retag Ansul
- Reopening on manager say-so without AHJ / vendor clearances
- Fighting a duct fire with a portable extinguisher
Field note — flare-up vs duct involvement (secondary timelines)
- Facilitec secondary reopen ranges (illustrative, not a promise): contained cookline with suppression discharge and no duct travel — often days; plenum/horizontal involvement — longer; fan/roof damage — weeks. Your AHJ and damage scope control.
- Post-fire exhaust work is not a routine visit: carbonized grease, suppression residue, soot, and heat-damage assessment. Ask for bare-metal language and path photos — see what “bare metal clean” means.
- Coordinate cleaning and suppression: residue in the hood can interfere with nozzle inspection; vendors often sequence cleaning then final suppression testing (secondary Facilitec note).
- After a fire on record, expect tighter AHJ attention and carrier overlays for several renewals — keep the new file complete from day one of reopen.
Documentation to gather for the claim and reopen
- Pre-incident cleaning reports, label photos, suppression certificates
- Fire department / AHJ investigation notes and scene release
- Suppression recharge / recertification tag and invoice
- Post-fire cleaning report with before/after path photos
- Mechanical/roof repair docs if anything was replaced
- Claim number and adjuster correspondence
If you are choosing a new exhaust vendor after a citation or fire, use choosing a vendor after an AHJ violation for the process — not the legal theory.
Who it’s for / not for
- For: managers writing a post-discharge SOP; owners who just had a cookline event and need a call list; multi-unit ops that want a consistent triage card
- Not for: DIY firefighting inside ducts; skipping AHJ release; treating this as a substitute for your local fire plan, licensed contractors, or insurer instructions
Sources
- Facilitec Southwest — Post-fire kitchen reopening (secondary; four sign-offs; don’t clean before AHJ release; bare-metal post-fire clean)
- Facilitec Southwest — Grease duct fires (secondary; response sequence; Class K limits for duct fires; call 911)
- Food Service Nerd — Hood fire suppression & cleaning FAQ (secondary; post-discharge steps; no DIY reset)
- Boh — Grease fire in the duct or hood (secondary; clean + suppression restore before reopen)
- Kord Fire Protection — Suppression discharge aftermath (secondary; AHJ clear + licensed recharge)
- Facilitec Southwest — Cleaned to bare metal (secondary; §12.6.5 framing — verify your adopted edition)
- IKECA FAQs
Next step
Print a one-page call list: 911, AHJ non-emergency, suppression vendor (24/7 if they have it), exhaust cleaner, broker/claims line. Tape it in the binder next to the hood file. After any discharge, use that list — do not improvise a scrub crew before the marshal releases the scene.