Two changes in commercial food preparation techniques have been an impact on fire protection:

• Vegetable cooking oil, which helps lower the fat and cholesterol content of food, also burns at a higher temperature than animal fats. These fires are more difficult to extinguish.
• Energy efficient cooking appliances are now used extensively in restaurants. Highly insulated fryers help reduce fuel consumption and cooking times, but they also keep cooking oils and appliances hotter longer. In return, that makes extinguishment of fires more difficult.

In the past, fire suppression systems were not tested with these specific hazards in mind, so new test protocols had to be developed. All manufacturers that sell fire suppression systems after November 1998 must comply with the new standards. Testing by fire equipment manufacturers showed that, while dry chemical systems could knock down the UL 300 test fires, they were not completely effective because the fires would restart and continue to burn due to lack of cooling. To achieve the required cooling effect, the design of the fire suppression systems were altered to increase the amount of wet chemical extinguishing agent used. The wet chemical fire suppression systems, with their increased number of appliance nozzles, were effective in completely extinguishing the UL 300 test fires; the appliances affected were fryers, griddles, ranges, char broilers and woks).

In addition, we have been told that manufacturers have ceased making replacement parts for the old dry chemical systems, and many areas will not allow non-UL 300 systems to be installed in commercial cooking operations, which is a NFPA regulation (not found to be a state law). Every Lodge should review its individual circumstances and plan to make appropriate changes.