- Smother
In fire safety, to "smother" means to extinguish a fire by depriving it of oxygen, one of the essential elements of the fire triangle (fuel, heat, oxygen) or fire tetrahedron (fuel, heat, oxygen, chemical reaction).
By covering the fire with an item (such as a fire blanket or the lid of a pot) or a substance (such as firefighting foam or a dry chemical agent) that blocks the flow of air, the oxygen supply is cut off, preventing combustion and causing the fire to go out.
Smothering is an effective method for controlling small fires, particularly those involving flammable liquids and cooking oils.