Is Olive Oil Flammable? (Can It Catch Fire?)

Olive oil is a healthy cooking oil with numerous health benefits. Additionally, it gives your dish flavor. Olive oil is used for more than just cooking; you can use it to dress salads. Is it harmful to use olive oil in the kitchen because of its characteristics, though? Is olive oil flammable, for instance?

Knowing you have nothing to worry about when using olive oil would be good. We will let you know if olive oil catches fire, is it flammable or combustible? Learn several other properties of olive oil. Additionally, you’ll learn how olive oil reacts to high heat, if it can burn in the oven, and whether you can bake with it safely at 400 degrees.

Can Olive Oil Catch Fire?

Olive oil can catch fire, but not immediately after introducing an ignition source. It would have to exceed its flash point to catch fire. So, technically, olive oil is flammable but does not turn into a fire too easily. It is a type of oil that is made up of hydrocarbons, which means it can ignite and burn if exposed to a high heat source such as an open flame or a hot surface.

But before it reaches flammable levels, olive oil may begin to boil or display other signs of high heat. When olive oil starts to smoke, you should be aware that it is at the point where it is most likely to catch fire.

It would be wise to remove the oil from the stove or turn it off to prevent a fire. Olive oil will spread and snowball if it catches fire. Never, ever consider putting it off with water. It can result in the oil bursting out of the pan, spreading the fire.

Olive Oil – Flammable vs Combustible

Olive oil is combustible but not flammable. Standard flash point temperatures for flammable liquids are below 100 °F. Combustible liquids ignite at temperatures above 100°F.  Olive oil is not a flammable liquid because it has a flash point greater than 100°F. Like flammables, combustibles like olive oil cannot spontaneously start a fire at room temperature.

You will have to introduce an ignition source that can heat olive oil to its flash point for it to ignite. The match extinguishes when you light a match stick and place it in a pan with olive oil. A large flame would have erupted if the oil had a flash point below 100 °F. That is how you can tell a liquid’s combustibility from its flammability.

Only after heating olive oil past its flash point in a pan on a burner can you anticipate a large flame.

Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Flammable?

Extra virgin Olive oil is not flammable but combustible. With a flashpoint of 325°F, it has the lowest flash point among all the olive oils. Even though it has a lower flash point than the other olive oils, it doesn’t meet the criteria to be classified as a flammable liquid. Extra virgin olive oil reaches its smoke point faster. 

Understanding the flash point of extra olive virgin oil will help you know the safest dishes you can cook with. 

What is the Flash Point of Olive Oil?

The flash point of olive oil is 410°F. The oil’s flash point is the lowest temperature at which heat exposure will cause flammable vapors and flames. You can tell when olive oil will start to boil or pop that it has reached its flashpoint. You should turn down the heat to avoid the oil catching fire. 

When the oil hits its flash point, it may not be easy to catch fire, but it is still probable, especially if open flames are nearby. It is usually simpler to put out a fire before it ever gets started.

Olive Oil’s Flashpoint, Ignition Point, Smoke Point, And Boiling Point

It’s essential to understand the various heating points for olive cooking oil. That way, you’ll have a safer time preparing various meals using olive oil. Let’s begin by knowing the various heating points of olive cooking oil.

1. Flash point

We had previously mentioned that olive oil had a 410°F (210°C) flashpoint. The moment when oil starts to release fumes as it evaporates. Your olive oil will easily ignite at this point but not at room temperature. Liquids that can easily ignite at room temperature have a flash point of 100°F. 

For your olive oil to ignite, you must introduce an outside ignition source.

2. Ignition point

Around 400–435°F (204 – 223°C) is the ignition point for olive oil. The point at which olive oil can spontaneously burn without the addition of an outside heat source. Knowing the ignition point of every cooking oil is necessary to prevent accidentally starting a fire.  When olive oil hits its ignition point, it might be disastrous if a heat source is nearby.

3. Smoke point

The smoke point for olive oil is 374°F (190°C). It is at this point the olive oil molecules will break down. Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil or fat starts to burn while producing smoke. You might notice a bluish color, and the oil stops shimmering. 

The common belief is that the smoke and ignition points are the same. Not true because the smoking point is usually lower than the ignition point. The smoke point of refined oils is higher, though. Once the oil hits the smoke point, remove it from the heat source. It will start to burn at that moment and eventually catch fire.

4. Boiling point

Olive oil has a boiling point of 570°F (298°C). The boiling point is the point at which the vapor pressure equals the external pressure on the liquid. However, your olive oil should not reach this level. Olive oil at that temperature can cause painful third-degree burns. 

It can quickly start a grease fire if it comes into contact with an ignition source. To prevent spray back, avoid placing food into the oil at this temperature. If the oil splashes on an open flame, your kitchen could have a severe fire. 

What Happens When You Cook With Olive Oil On High Heat?

Most oils release hazardous chemicals when heated to high temperatures. These dangerous substances are cancer-causing and might even cause lung cancer if inhaled. Olive oil can be used safely in high heat because it possesses specific properties.

Let us look at what happens when you cook with olive oil on high heat:

Heat-resistant fatty acids: 

Monounsaturated fats make up 73%, polyunsaturated fats 1%, and saturated fats 14% of the composition of olive oil. Heat resistance is a property of saturated and monosaturated lipids. High heat can damage polyunsaturated fats. 84% of olive oil is made up of a combination of monounsaturated and saturated fats. Olive oil is heat resistant because of the two fats in it.

High in antioxidants and vitamin E

Olive oil is protected against oxidation by antioxidants and vitamin E. The oil combines with oxygen to create hazardous chemicals known as oil oxidation. The process is accelerated when the oil is heated. However, it primarily takes place at room temperature. Olive oil has a lot of antioxidants, which prevent oxidation even at extreme heat.

High smoke point

The fatty acids and trace nutrients in olive oil, regarded as refined, are lower. The oil will often have a higher smoke point if those two components exist. At the smoking point, fat molecules break down and produce toxic substances.

Olive oil is safe to use in high heat because its smoke point is high.

While olive oil at high temperatures is entirely safe, you should know that the flavor is lost at these degrees.

Can Olive Oil Burn in the Oven?

It depends on your oven temperature. Olive oil has a smoke point of 374°F and a flash point of 410°F. If the temperature rises over those two points, using olive oil will cause the oil to burn. Aim for far lower temps than that as well. The heat temperature should be lower than 325°F, if you are using extra virgin oil.

Olive oil will most likely produce bluish smoke if heated to and above the smoke point when  using it in an oven. The oil will burn when the fat molecules breakdown. Additionally, it’s likely that your food will lose nutrients and flavor. Secondly, the oil will emit harmful substances that are toxic to your body.

Can You Bake Olive Oil Safe at 400 Degrees?

When baking at 400 degrees, it is dangerous to use olive oil, especially if you are unsure of the oil’s quality. Your meal might burn, and since olive oil has a 374°F smoke point, you could easily start a fire. If you intend to bake for a long time and you leave your oven unattended, it is even riskier.

Olive oil may be preferable for baking because it has a greater smoke point than butter and some other oils. However, if you don’t have high-quality olive oil, you might not like the flavor.

Conclusion

Olive oil is one of the best cooking oils. It is not only safe, but it also won’t catch fire. Its smoke point is higher than that of most cooking oils, so you can use it for cooking foods that require more heat. To avoid starting a fire, it is still advised to monitor it carefully.

You can prevent accidents and ensure you use the right oil for your meals by being familiar with the varied heating points of olive oil. While it is possible to bake with olive oil at 400 degrees, doing so is dangerous because of the oil’s lower smoking point.