Hob caught fire during Friday rush, my backup plan is now the main plan

The flat top on my saute station started shooting flames around 6:45 last Friday, right in the middle of our busiest service. Turns out the grease trap under it was clogged and it just went up, we had to shut the whole line down for 20 minutes while we got it out. I grabbed the portable burner from the prep station and kept the chicken dishes moving, but we still had to comp like 8 tables. Got the ventilation guy in Saturday morning and turns out the ducting was never cleaned since the place opened 4 years ago. Anyone else ever dealt with a line fire mid-service and how do you guys keep your ducts clean on a regular schedule?

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1 Comment

cameron_craig2d ago

Grease fires are no joke, man. We clean our hood filters every single Sunday night, no exceptions, and have the duct guys out twice a year. Clogged traps will get you every time, especially on a busy Friday. You got lucky nobody got hurt. That ventilation guy is the real problem, four years of grease built up is a disaster waiting to happen. Make that cleaning schedule your new best friend.