How should a galley fire be managed?

• A. Raise the alarm, use the appropriate extinguisher if trained, isolate the galley if possible, and evacuate if flames cannot be controlled.
• B. Ignore and continue service.
• C. Close the galley door and wait for smoke to clear.
• D. Evacuate immediately without attempting to fight the fire.

Answer: (A)

When a galley fire occurs, the priority is to act quickly and contain the incident while protecting passengers. The best approach starts with raising the alarm to alert the crew and passengers and to trigger established emergency procedures. If you’re trained and it’s safe to do so, using the appropriate extinguisher to attempt to put the fire out at its source is a proactive step that can stop the fire from growing.

Isolating the galley is crucial because closing doors and stopping galley operations helps cut off heat, smoke, and fuel from spreading to other areas of the aircraft. This containment buys crucial time and reduces risk to the cabin.

If the flames cannot be controlled, evacuating is necessary to ensure all occupants move to a safer location away from the fire and smoke.

Ignoring the fire, waiting for smoke to clear, or evacuating without attempting to control the fire contradicts the need to first contain and suppress the fire where possible and only evacuate when situation dictates, which keeps everyone safer overall.