A kitchen fire blanket has to be bigger than the pan it might have to cover, mounted where somebody can reach it without crossing the cooker, and replaced after any use. Those three things decide whether it is a piece of safety equipment or a decoration on the wall, and the size one is the one people get wrong.
Size matters more than anything
The blanket must cover the burning vessel completely with margin all round, because the seal at the edges is what excludes the air. A blanket only slightly larger than the pan will leave gaps and will not put the fire out. Domestic kitchens are normally served by a common small size; a commercial kitchen with large pans or a fryer needs a correspondingly larger blanket, and the size should be chosen against the biggest vessel in use.
Where to mount it
On the escape side of the kitchen, so reaching it does not mean going past or leaning across the cooker. Near the door is usually right. Mounted at a height an adult can pull down in one movement, with the tapes hanging free rather than tucked behind something. A blanket in a drawer is not provision, because the drawer will be the one thing you cannot open in the dark.
What the rules say
There is no regulation naming fire blankets in domestic kitchens. In a workplace the Fire Safety Order requires appropriate firefighting equipment, and for a commercial kitchen the risk assessment will normally identify both a wet chemical extinguisher and a blanket. Food business and licensing inspections frequently look for both, so the practical requirement is often stricter than the statutory one.
Welding blankets are a different product
Blankets sold for welding, hot works and, more recently, for covering lithium battery devices are different products with different specifications, and they are not interchangeable with a kitchen fire blanket. A welding blanket is designed to catch sparks and protect surfaces during work, not to be laid over a burning pan. Buy the product for the job, and do not assume one covers the other.
Questions people ask about fire blanket for kitchen
What size fire blanket does a kitchen need?
Big enough to cover the largest vessel in use with margin all round, because the edge seal is what excludes air. Domestic kitchens use a common small size; commercial kitchens need larger.
Are fire blankets required by law in a kitchen?
Not by name. A workplace must have appropriate firefighting equipment, and a commercial kitchen risk assessment will normally call for a blanket alongside a wet chemical extinguisher.
Can I use a welding blanket on a pan fire?
No. Welding and hot works blankets are a different product with different specifications, designed to catch sparks during work rather than to smother a burning pan.