Grease is the fuel that keeps your kitchen running, and the fuel that most often sets it on fire. In eating and drinking establishments, cooking equipment is the leading cause of structure fires, and “failure to clean” grease from hoods, ducts, and fans is a major contributing factor in losses and closures. The fix is not glamorous, but it works: Control grease at every stage. Capture it at the hood, move it safely through the ducts, contain it on the roof, and keep simple records to prove it.
This guide shows how grease fires start, where risks hide, and simple steps to keep your Central Texas kitchen compliant with NFPA 96 and ready for inspection all year.
Why Grease Drives Restaurant Fire Risk
Hot oil turns into tiny grease droplets and a light mist above the cookline. The hood pulls that grease mist into the filters and ducts. If filters, the space inside the hood, and the ducts get coated, you have a line of fuel from the cookline to the roof. A small flare-up, a spark near the fan, or heat moving through the metal can ignite it.
What the data says:
- Cooking equipment is the leading cause of fires in restaurants and bars (NFPA).
- “Failure to clean” grease is a prominent contributing factor in these incidents (NFPA, USFA). Even when a fire begins at the appliance, accumulated grease rapidly spreads it through the exhaust path.
Bottom line: If you can scrape grease off a surface, it can burn. Your goal is “clean to bare metal” in the exhaust system on a schedule that matches your volume and cooking type, and to keep surfaces clean between services.
Where Grease Risk Hides (and How to Fix It)
Inside the duct and at turns
- Risk: Grease accumulates where the duct changes direction or runs horizontally. Without access panels, those sections are often skipped.
- Fix: Install NFPA 96 compliant access panels and verify “bare metal” results end to end with photos. Book a full-system clean, not a cosmetic hood shine.
- Start here: Hood Cleaning Service: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-cleaning-service/
At the roof fan and curb
- Risk: Saturated bowls and membranes, grease pooling around the curb, and fan wiring damaged when fans are lifted without hinge kits. Grease on the roof is both a fire hazard and an EPA stormwater problem if it washes into drains.
- Fix: Add a heavy-duty hinge kit and a high-capacity containment system sized to your output. Clean and service both on a routine schedule.
- Learn more: Kitchen Exhaust Fan Maintenance: https://bowmarindustrial.com/kitchen-exhaust-fan-maintenance-3/
Filters and the hood (inside space)
- Risk: Overloaded baffle filters and neglected hood interiors restrict airflow, reduce capture, and allow more grease to reach the duct and roof.
- Fix: Use a filter exchange program so grease is removed offsite and capture stays strong between deep cleans.
- Details: Hood Filter Exchange Service: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-filter-exchange-service/
Electrical parts and safety shutoffs
- Risk: Frayed wires at the fan, missing or damaged disconnects, and safety shutoffs that do not work during a suppression event.
- Fix: Combine cleaning with mechanical checks, including belt tension, pulley alignment, bearings, and a quick electrical safety look, at least twice a year.
- See: Kitchen Exhaust Fan Maintenance: https://bowmarindustrial.com/kitchen-exhaust-fan-maintenance-3/
Set the Right Cleaning Schedule (NFPA 96)
NFPA 96 requires cleaning to bare metal at a frequency based on your cooking volume and type. For Central Texas kitchens, a simple guide is:
- Monthly: Solid fuel, charbroil, high-volume frying, 24/7 operations
- Quarterly: Most full-service restaurants
- Semi-annual: Moderate or low-volume operations
Not sure where you land? Use our Hood Cleaning Frequency Guide: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-cleaning-frequency-guide-by-restaurant-type/ and schedule your next full-system service here: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-cleaning-service/
What “clean to bare metal” means
- Documented results: before and after photos of the hood, ducts, fan housing, and roof containment area
- Access confirmed: panels opened and re-sealed; hinges used (no lifting the fan by hand)
- Certificate issued: tagged with date, scope, and technician credentials
How to Stop Grease-Driven Fires (A Practical Playbook)
- Capture and contain at the source
- Keep baffle filters clean with a recurring exchange route: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-filter-exchange-service/
- Check that your hood pulls smoke across the whole face. If smoke hangs in the air, schedule fan maintenance: https://bowmarindustrial.com/kitchen-exhaust-fan-maintenance-3/
- Clean the full exhaust path on schedule
- Book full-system cleans to bare metal that match your volume: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-cleaning-service/
- Ask for photo proof of the hood interior, vertical and horizontal ducts, and the fan interior every visit.
- Protect the roof
- Install and service a grease containment system that fits your output. Replace absorbent media on schedule.
- Degrease the roof membrane and curb routinely. Keep disposal logs. The EPA flags roof runoff contamination: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-restaurants-and-food-service-establishments
- Maintain the fan
- Do a five-point service: clean the motor, set belt tension or replace the belt, align mounts and pulleys, grease bearings, and check basic electrical safety. Details: https://bowmarindustrial.com/kitchen-exhaust-fan-maintenance-3/
- Keep suppression and extinguishers ready
- Do a semi-annual inspection and functional test (NFPA 17A and UL 300). Check nozzle aim, fusible links, nozzle caps, agent cylinders, fuel shutoffs, and fan shutdowns. Coordinate with cleaning so caps come off and go back correctly: https://bowmarindustrial.com/commercial-kitchen-fire-suppression-services/
- Place Class K within 30 feet of the cookline and ABC in dining and other areas. Do monthly in-house checks and yearly service: https://bowmarindustrial.com/fire-extinguisher-service/
- Prove compliance with simple records
- Keep digital certificates, time-stamped photos that show bare metal, and logs of filter exchanges, fan maintenance, and roof pillow change-outs.
- NFPA 96 requires qualified people to clean and maintain these systems. Good records protect you during inspections and insurance reviews: https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=96
Red Flags That Mean “Service Now”
- Grease drips from seams or filters; visible pooling on the roof
- Smoke hangs in the air or rolls out of the hood during peak times
- Belt squeal, vibration, or a burnt rubber smell at the fan
- Missing nozzle caps or nozzles aimed wrong after a line change
- Any inspector warning, red tag, or a suppression discharge
If you see one, you are already in the danger window. Book a comprehensive inspection: https://bowmarindustrial.com/quote/
Austin and San Antonio Inspection Realities
Local fire marshals look at the hidden areas first. They check duct access points, long horizontal runs, the fan interior, hinge kits, and the roof containment. They want current certificates, clear photos, and proof that you cleaned the full system, not just the hood.
Quick Starter Checklist
- Confirm your NFPA 96 cleaning schedule and next service date.
- Enroll in a filter exchange route to keep airflow steady.
- Check roof grease containment and replace absorbent media as needed.
- Schedule fan maintenance if smoke hangs in the air or belts squeal.
- Book your suppression semi-annual and verify Class K and ABC placement.
The Payoff: Fewer Emergencies, Lower Costs, Smoother Inspections
Removing grease at the source and along the exhaust path prevents the most common kitchen fires. It also lowers wear on your fans and belts, improves air quality, and makes spring inspections simple.
Bowmar Industrial Services helps kitchens across Greater Austin and San Antonio do this the right way: USAKES-certified techs, true bare-metal cleaning with photo documentation, integrated roof containment service, coordinated suppression and extinguisher programs, and after-hours work that keeps you open.
Ready to stop grease from becoming your biggest fire risk? Call 512-861-5841 or request a comprehensive on-site inspection: https://bowmarindustrial.com/quote/
References and Resources
External References:
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on restaurant fires: https://www.nfpa.org/fireservice-and-public-education/by-topic/property-types-and-occupancies/restaurant-and-bar-fires
- NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations: https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=96
- U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) report on eating and drinking establishment fires: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v20i3.pdf
- EPA on stormwater discharges from food service: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-restaurants-and-food-service-establishments
Internal Resources (Bowmar Industrial):
- Hood Cleaning Service: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-cleaning-service/
- Hood Cleaning Frequency Guide: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-cleaning-frequency-guide-by-restaurant-type/
- Kitchen Exhaust Fan Maintenance: https://bowmarindustrial.com/kitchen-exhaust-fan-maintenance-3/
- Hood Filter Exchange Service: https://bowmarindustrial.com/hood-filter-exchange-service/
- Fire Suppression Services: https://bowmarindustrial.com/commercial-kitchen-fire-suppression-services/
- Fire Extinguisher Service: https://bowmarindustrial.com/fire-extinguisher-service/
- Quote / Inspection: https://bowmarindustrial.com/quote/
