Everything You Need to Know About Oven Fires

8/8/2019 (Permalink)

The Common Culprit

The most common source for house fires is in the kitchen. Oven fires are very scary, but with preparation and proper care, they are easily prevented and contained. 

There are several different reasons oven fires can occur.

• Food scraps or other items residing in the bottom of your oven can lead to a fire.
• Forgetting something in the oven can also lead to burned food, lots of smoke and in some instances, a fire.
• Grease can splatter and cause a flame
• The batter from food in the oven can overflow and cause a fire.
• Some people have reported fires starting when the self-cleaning feature is turned on.

The Oven is on Fire. What do you do??

1. If you do not have a fire extinguisher, leave the oven door closed.
2. Turn off the oven and allow the fire to burn out on its own.
3. If it does not go out or worsens, open windows and call 911.
4. If it does go out, open your windows.
5. Carefully open the oven door and remove any items that are burned. It will be smoky so be careful.
6. Allow the smoke to clear before examining the area to determine the cause of the fire.

Although step one might seem counterintuitive, starving the oven of oxygen is a great way for the fire to be extinguished. If you open the door the fire could easily expand elsewhere and result in disaster. 

Preventative Steps to Take

• Make sure the oven is clean before use
• Do not leave cooking food unattended
• When making cakes and pastries, place a slightly larger baking tray underneath your baking pan or cupcake tin
• Put a cover on food that might splatter. When roasting, carefully drain some of the hot grease by removing the pan from the oven every half-hour or so.
• Get your oven checked out by a professional to make sure it is working properly.