How to Put Out a Kitchen Oil Fire

My dad sent me this email and video. I thought it was appropriate for my foodie blog, so I'm sharing it with all of you. 

When I was in Junior High, one of my classmates had a kitchen oil fire. He had been trying to make some french fries and the oil in the pan caught on fire. I'm not sure if he tried to douse the fire or move the pan, either way, he ended up with third degree burns all over his arms. He probably still has the scars.

This text and video explains why you do NOT want to try to douse an oil fire. It provides a simple solution for stopping the fire using only a wet dishcloth.

At the Fire Fighting Training school they would demonstrate this with a 
 deep fat fryer set on the fire field. An instructor would don a fire suit 
 and using an 8 oz cup at the end of a 10-foot pole to toss water onto the 
 grease fire. 
 
 The results got the attention of the students. The water, being heavier 
 than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes superheated. 
 
 The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out. On the  open field, it became a thirty foot high fireball that resembled a nuclear  blast. 

 Inside the confines of a kitchen, the fire ball hits the ceiling and fills 
 the entire room. Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. One 
 cup of either creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.