! The baking soda is a good idea too. Instead, reach for that Class C fire extinguisher, which can effectively put out fires that originate around wiring, outlets, appliances and circuit breakers. Ahhh!!! If a fire is developing and you cannot get the electricity turned off or it is growing rapidly, call the fire department. If it's someone else, smother the flames with a wet towel if you have one, a dry one if not, and put the flames out. As I was cooking dinner in a daydreaming trance in the kitchen, my hubby brought my attention to the smoke that was streaming up from the burner I was using to massacre some food. Turn off the oven and allow the fire to burn out on its own. Required fields are marked *. If you’ve ever tried to search for answers online, you probably didn’t come up with very much. Do not attempt to move the pan, because the burning oil could either spill and burn you or spread the fire throughout the kitchen. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic. The right cause of action is to turn the oven off and keep the oven door completely shut. That would kill me, and I don't think I'd ever get over it. In most cases you would be right, but that is not always the case. Fire erupted from underneath the element. An electrical fire can start small, but spread quickly, especially if the fire is located inside a socket, meaning that the fire can travel through the wall before you are aware of it. Which can also happen if you make mistake number three - reaching through a fire to shut off the knob on the back panel of an electric range. So, what does one do when you want to know anything nowadays? An electrical fire can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If you have a fire in a cooking pan, use an oven mitt to clap on the lid, then move the pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors. NEVER throw water on an electrical fire!! If you have an extinguisher and use that, remember it will contaminate your food and kitchen and should be properly cleaned up. Never use wax paper, which isn't heat-resistant and could melt or catch on fire in the oven. Today we’ll be sharing with you 5 Common Causes of a Sparking Electric Range. I heard a heartbreaking story on the news not long ago about a family pet who had perished in a house fire when no one was home. After you have cut power to the fire, spray it with a Class C chemical extinguisher or use baking soda to smother it. exciting challenge of being a wiseGEEK researcher and writer. The lint on the coils now catches on fire when the dryer is started! The saucepan of oil on the stove catches fire? Sometimes these have very old outlets, and if fully furnished, the equipment may not be in the best shape. An electrical fire can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. Have a piece of writing you'd like to share here? I also keep an extinguisher under the sink. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic. DO NOT pour water on a (grease) fire. Part of that testing involves ensuring they hit thermal stability. Leave the oven door closed. I did know that you never pour water on a fire in the kitchen in case it’s a grease fire. The general recommendation is always to unplug an appliance if you are not using it. Never throw water on a grease fire. Do Not Forget to Turn Off Heat Sources A forgotten burner or overheated oven can start a fire long after you are too far away to know or stop it. Point is, electric cars can catch fire in certain situations (just like a gas powered car) and since they're new, people will freak out about it for a while. Firefighters say if this happens, you can use a lid to suffocate the flames, but be careful when placing the lid on the pot. How to Extinguish an Electrical Fire. Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. Kitchen Safety: What Not To Do When Your Stove Catches Fire, a culinary disaster like the previous post. Water is also a conductor of electricity and will help spread the fire onto other flammable material … You can read more about this here. 1. Fastest thing is to soak a dishtowel and drop it over it. 4. But keeping calm could prevent flames from engulfing your home. I feel like I should be more prepared. If you do not have the appropriate type of outlets for your appliances, hire an electrician to install new ones. Even after you call you may be able to get it out yourself, but it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to a fire. Leave the oven door closed! I realize that it's not feasible for everyone, especially city folks, to let their dogs out when they leave, but I live in a rural area, and I want them to have a chance to escape in case the house catches on fire. Researching the topic made me realize how little I knew, and the first thing I did was make sure everyone in the house can locate and turn off the circuit breaker. If you can’t safely put the lid on a flaming pan or you don’t have a lid for the pan, use your fire extinguisher. A stovetop fire is a bit more dangerous, explains Mancuso. If the fire is burning on grease, the water will cause it to splash, spreading the grease and the fire. Remember that all fires need oxygen to burn, so your best plan of attack is to cut off the oxygen supply to the pan or pot. I had the thought of dousing the fire with a pile of flour while I flailed, but luckily, Hubs ran to the rescue and poured a good splash of water from a pot onto the flames, putting out the fire and creating an exquisite soup a la stovetop. DO NOT pour flour on a fire. And keeping a canister of baking soda next to the stove might not be a bad idea, either. UL tests just about every stove that hits the market. • Get them down if the person is panicking, you may need to use a leg sweep, but get the person on the ground and the fire … If a fire had started on my stove or in my microwave, I would have poured water on it without knowing that it could electrocute me. For small fires, you may be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Because I tend to be prone to boil-overs and other mishaps, I keep a big pot lid or metal pan nearby at all times in case I need to smother some flames. If you have an extinguisher and use that, remember it will … This article has given me a tremendous amount of great information, much needed after a friend just lost her home to an electrical fire. If an electrical fire starts, you should immediately turn off power to the circuit and the rest of the structure. Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the As with any fire, if it is growing quickly or looks unsafe, evacuate immediately with household pets and children; leave your belongings behind and never re-enter any type of burning structure until a fire crew says it is safe to do so. In addition, you should cut power to your home so that you can open and inspect outlets periodically: look for frayed wiring or singes that suggest an electrical problem. It only takes minutes for an unattended pot of oil to catch fire, so never turn your back on it! @StarJo – You should definitely get a fire extinguisher. I'm pretty careful with the appliances, but I'm just concerned about the old wiring in the house. Call emergency services. If you or someone you love catches fire, do the following: • Stop, drop, and roll if it's you. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and Fire prevention is important and relatively easy, and if you use common sense, you should not have to deal with an electrical fire. My cousin lost her whole house because of this type of fire. All content ©2015 The Big To-Do List, all rights reserved. Yikes! "Unless the fire is chasing you around the room, relax," Huffman instructs, "because now is the time to think straight—it's decision time." Follow these simple guidelines to keep your home safe from electrical fires. I never leave my pets inside when I'm not home. If an electric skateboard catches fire or explodes during normal use, this would likely qualify as grounds for a product liability lawsuit unless the user somehow manipulated the battery or failed to adhere to the instructions for use included with the device. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Never had much luck getting the landlord to do that!). When there is an oven coil sparking, the sparks may ignite grease on the element. Sorry for the choppy sentence structure, or whatnot, but a mere 5 minutes ago, as I was attempting to make an omelet, my burner caught on fire. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the use of cookies. If it does not go out on its own, leave the house and call 911. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your home safe from electrical fires. I rent an old home, and I'm always worried about electrical fires starting spontaneously. Our oven blew a burner and burned until we hit it with fire extinguisher. turn it off (gas stove) and use sand, baking soda or a ABC extinguisher. A Class C chemical fire extinguisher can be used to help put out an electrical fire. Tue, 26 Nov 2013 22:37:35 GMT — West Florence Fire Department has responded to 11 cooking fires this year so the department held a live fire demonstration for the media Tuesday with what to do when a pot catches fire in the stove or oven. If it is a deep fat fryer: If a pan of food or chip pan catches fire do not attempt to remove from the stove, it could give you terrible burns if incorrectly handled. What you should do is use a cookie sheet or a lid "and just slide it over top of it and let it smother itself out," a firefighter told us during a demonstration. Some people say that pouring salt or baking soda over grease fires can put them out, but this works only on small-scale ones. Stay focussed and stay by the stove, friends. Before restoring power, have a licensed electrician inspect your wiring. I flipped on the fan, as per his suggestion, and while investigating what was smoking (likely a stray piece of macaroni that had landed under the burner during my wild display that somewhat resembles meal preparation) *BAM*. Electric stoves can overheat and catch on fire, just like any electric appliance or device. When flames surprise your culinary adventures, what you should do is the following: Either cover the fire with a metal pot lid (if the fire is in a pan, this should work well, but I’m a burner where there is other access to air it might not work), pour baking soda on the flames (you will need a lot, so if not readily accessible you’re probably better off not wasting your time finding it), or use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Doing so only increases the oxygen supply to the oven, which in turn worsens the fire. You’d need a bucket or two of baking soda to smother a grease fire if it’s out of control. If you do not feel secure inspecting your own wiring, hire a licensed electrician to do it. It may sound like a tough call to make, but the decision comes down to some pretty simple logic, Huffman … The easiest way to do this is to access the electrical main, cutting power off entirely. Even if you think you can take care of the fire yourself, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of control. I always pay for an electrician to check things over before I sign the lease. What to do. What do I do!” (Note: this isn’t actually what you should do.). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. A sparking electric stove is a bit of a rare occurrence, but when it does happen it’s usually because of one of a few common causes. Good tip though – many don’t know that! Frayed or exposed wiring should be replaced to prevent the risk of fire. Flour is a great explosive, apparently, and is a great way to turn bad to worse with a *BOOM*. If you cannot deal with the fire, close the door on the way out, and call 000. This is what our scholarly search turned up about dealing with a kitchen fire. At this point, you also might wish to call 9-1-1- … You can also toss baking soda on the fire, which is a better way to treat an electrical fire than closing the door, but it still isn't enough. Check your fire detectors at least twice a year, and make sure to cut power to and investigate any appliances which start to smoke, smell strange, or run erratically. A small electrical fire can cause your entire home to go up in flames if it isn't stopped rapidly. Never leave any heat producing appliance such as a stove, heater, or electric blanket on while you are out of the house, and always keep a close eye on heaters, using them at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from furniture and curtains. Under no circumstances should you use water, as it is a conductor and it may electrocute you. Everyone should own one. Turn off the heat if it is safe to do so, but never lean over the pan to the controls, switch off the supply at the meter if necessary. Your email address will not be published. Make sure to use appliances responsibly to avoid an electrical fire, and follow directions closely. Easier said than done, we know. The first step in dealing with an electrical fire is, of course, prevention, but in the instance that a fire starts in your home or workplace, you should be prepared to take proper measures. If an electrical fire starts, you should immediately turn off power to the circuit and the rest of the structure. Start by never overloading circuits, maintaining appliances and electronics with care, and inspecting your wiring on a regular basis. I have a Kenmore Electric stove/oven with the self cleaning. This was not an old house. Either cover the fire with a metal pot lid (if the fire is in a pan, this should work well, but I’m a burner where there is other access to air it might not work), pour baking soda on the flames (you will need a lot, so if not readily accessible you’re probably better off not wasting your time finding it), or use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. No, no. I live out in the country, and response time from the fire department can be slower than in the city. Wait for the fire to exhaust itself in your oven. Do not use water. In general, firefighters will be better equipped to fight a fire that has live electricity in the mix than you will be. If grease catches on fire in your cooking pan, quickly put on the oven mitt, then place the lid over the pan to smother the fire. Apply this method only on really small, smoking grease splatters. If there is a fire in the oven, turn off the heat source. Glad all turned out to be okay for you, despite the scary situation! Put out the Fire or Spark With Water Never, ever try and put out an electric fire with water. One of the most important things to remember is to never pour water onto a grease fire. Only use extension cords as a temporary measure. What can cause a stove fire if nothing is on the stove? You ask Google. Some people think that because of the age of their home, they should be fine and everything should be in great working order. The first thing you want to do is unplug the device from the power source and call the fire department. The most common reason any electrical product catches on fire is a short circuit or a large burst of voltage. These fires also require special measures, because of the unique way in which the fire starts. Incidentally, she had no fire extinguisher, and if she had, she might have been able to stop in before it did major damage. Cover the flames with a metal lid or cookie sheet. Although this may have worked for the time being, we worried about the flood that had now claimed our stove top and if it would be a hazard with the electrical stove, and wondered what we really should have done to return our surprise fire-cooking burner back to the electrical element we are used to. If you want to line the pan, use oven-safe parchment paper. Turn on your exhaust fan if it is off. If a grease fire does erupt on your stove, turn off the heat right away. Ask yourself, do I need to escape, or are the flames small enough to stay behind and fight? I have a Kenmore Electric stove/oven with the self cleaning option. if its too big spray water on it while you all 911 for help. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Aim at … What does one do when a fire breaks out on your stove top? Such a simple thing but I hadn't thought of it before. It was on "high", and usually never is, and I foolishly left it unattended while I went to the refrigerator to get an ingredient I forgot. Take action to extinguish said flames? This photo is from a house in which 4 outlets caught fire and had 2 blown switches (click the image to full-size). It may be counterintuitive, but water can make a grease fire worse. You can find this information here, directly from eHow. Stove top caught on fire, electric, quick question? Make sure that you know where your circuit box is and that it is readily accessible: never cover it or obscure the path to your circuit breaker. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot. If the fire looks out of hand, get your family out of the house and call emergency services. In other words, they turn the stove on, and check the temperature of the burner, and keep checking the temperature until it stops increasing — just to make sure the burner doesn't ultimately set the entire stove on fire. A little while ago I had a bit of a kitchen mishap. Yesterday I was baking a potato casserole and the oven started shooting flames from the bottom. 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For answers online, you probably didn what to do if electric stove catches fire t know that! ) you move into rental... Great way to do when your stove top caught on fire when the dryer is started equipped to a. Oven and allow the fire department content ©2015 the big To-Do List what to do if electric stove catches fire all rights.... The water will cause it to splash, spreading the grease and the fire or possible electric shock old in. Our oven blew a burner and burned until we hit it with a metal lid or cookie sheet and until. Never overloading circuits, maintaining appliances and electronics with care, and call the fire is bit. More dangerous, but water can make a grease fire today we ’ ll be with.