Electric stoves can overheat and catch on fire, just like any electric appliance or device. That would kill me, and I don't think I'd ever get over it. What can cause a stove fire if nothing is on the stove? I have a Kenmore Electric stove/oven with the self cleaning. Under no circumstances should you use water, as it is a conductor and it may electrocute you. I now think I need to get a fire extinguisher. In most cases you would be right, but that is not always the case. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic. Since manufacturers design ovens with fire-control features, you shouldn’t open the oven door during a fire. The general recommendation is always to unplug an appliance if you are not using it. Yesterday I was baking a potato casserole and the oven started shooting flames from the bottom. 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. Never throw water on a grease fire. 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. If the fire looks out of hand, get your family out of the house and call emergency services. if its too big spray water on it while you all 911 for help. 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. @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. It only takes minutes for an unattended pot of oil to catch fire, so never turn your back on it! So, what does one do when you want to know anything nowadays? Water is also a conductor of electricity and will help spread the fire onto other flammable material … For small fires, you may be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Fire prevention is important and relatively easy, and if you use common sense, you should not have to deal with an electrical fire. Leave the oven door closed! If it does not go out on its own, leave the house and call 911. 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. The easiest way to do this is to access the electrical main, cutting power off entirely. You ask Google. An electrical fire can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your home safe from electrical fires. Flour is a great explosive, apparently, and is a great way to turn bad to worse with a *BOOM*. Some people say that pouring salt or baking soda over grease fires can put them out, but this works only on small-scale ones. Today we’ll be sharing with you 5 Common Causes of a Sparking Electric Range. I never leave my pets inside when I'm not home. 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. If an electrical fire starts, you should immediately turn off power to the circuit and the rest of the structure. Incidentally, she had no fire extinguisher, and if she had, she might have been able to stop in before it did major damage. If a fire is developing and you cannot get the electricity turned off or it is growing rapidly, call the fire department. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. 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. This time, it wasn’t to do as much with a culinary disaster like the previous post, but a slightly more serious affair. Electrical fire safety should be top of your agenda if you move into a rental property. NEVER throw water on an electrical fire!! Apply this method only on really small, smoking grease splatters. I feel like I should be more prepared. 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. Glad all turned out to be okay for you, despite the scary situation! I also keep an extinguisher under the sink. 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. It may sound like a tough call to make, but the decision comes down to some pretty simple logic, Huffman … Never use wax paper, which isn't heat-resistant and could melt or catch on fire in the oven. Use a Class C Fire Extinguisher. If a grease fire does erupt on your stove, turn off the heat right away. If you’ve ever tried to search for answers online, you probably didn’t come up with very much. 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. You can read more about this here. spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors. 1. A Class C chemical fire extinguisher can be used to help put out an electrical fire. • 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 … 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. Part of that testing involves ensuring they hit thermal stability. exciting challenge of being a wiseGEEK researcher and writer. After you have cut power to the fire, spray it with a Class C chemical extinguisher or use baking soda to smother it. I rent an old home, and I'm always worried about electrical fires starting spontaneously. 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. Make sure to use appliances responsibly to avoid an electrical fire, and follow directions closely. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. This photo is from a house in which 4 outlets caught fire and had 2 blown switches (click the image to full-size). The easiest way to do this is to access the electrical main, cutting power off entirely. The lint on the coils now catches on fire when the dryer is started! Then turn off the power at the electrical panel to prevent the fire from growing. 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. What do I do!” (Note: this isn’t actually what you should do.). 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. ! Easier said than done, we know. All content ©2015 The Big To-Do List, all rights reserved. "Unless the fire is chasing you around the room, relax," Huffman instructs, "because now is the time to think straight—it's decision time." DO NOT pour water on a (grease) fire. At this point, you also might wish to call 9-1-1- … This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Do not attempt to move the pan, because the burning oil could either spill and burn you or spread the fire throughout the kitchen. Stove top caught on fire, electric, quick question? If the fire is burning on grease, the water will cause it to splash, spreading the grease and the fire. Clearly what is necessary is to scream and flap your arms while exclaiming “What do I do! Yikes! 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 one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic. But keeping calm could prevent flames from engulfing your home. Wait for the fire to exhaust itself in your oven. If you do not feel secure inspecting your own wiring, hire a licensed electrician to do it. 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. What to do. Firefighters say if this happens, you can use a lid to suffocate the flames, but be careful when placing the lid on the pot. The most common reason any electrical product catches on fire is a short circuit or a large burst of voltage. A small electrical fire can cause your entire home to go up in flames if it isn't stopped rapidly. How to Extinguish an Electrical Fire. 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. Instead, reach for that Class C fire extinguisher, which can effectively put out fires that originate around wiring, outlets, appliances and circuit breakers. 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. Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the Take action to extinguish said flames? Your email address will not be published. The majority of kitchen fire calamities happen because the stove was left unattended. Required fields are marked *. 4. Ahhh!!! Before restoring power, have a licensed electrician inspect your wiring. If you or someone you love catches fire, do the following: • Stop, drop, and roll if it's you. 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. If you have an extinguisher and use that, remember it will … When there is an oven coil sparking, the sparks may ignite grease on the element. 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. 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. DO NOT pour flour on a fire. NEVER throw water over it. If you have an extinguisher and use that, remember it will contaminate your food and kitchen and should be properly cleaned up. And keeping a canister of baking soda next to the stove might not be a bad idea, either. In general, firefighters will be better equipped to fight a fire that has live electricity in the mix than you will be. The right cause of action is to turn the oven off and keep the oven door completely shut. You’d need a bucket or two of baking soda to smother a grease fire if it’s out of control. 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. 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. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot. A stovetop fire is a bit more dangerous, explains Mancuso. 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*. If you do not have the appropriate type of outlets for your appliances, hire an electrician to install new ones. The baking soda is a good idea too. Put out the Fire or Spark With Water Never, ever try and put out an electric fire with water. 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. Ask yourself, do I need to escape, or are the flames small enough to stay behind and fight? 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