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You’ve seen it a lot in movies and on TV. A scatter-brained cook rushes to a kitchen engulfed in smoke, opens the oven door and behold – the Christmas turkey is on fire. The whole oven is on fire and the smoke alarm is going crazy. However, this doesn’t happen only in movies, it’s a common accident.
So, if you:
Then read on! This article is for you.
Every year the fire brigades work hard to fight fires and prevent any casualties. According to official statistics, the number one cause for house fires in the period between 2017 and 2018 are cooking appliances. Ovens, stoves and other cookers being the number one source among all appliances. Here are some statistics from the government:
Source of ignition | Cooker incl. oven | Ring/hot plate (separate appliance) | Grill/Toaster | Microwave oven | Deep fat fryer | Barbecue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total accidental fires | 9295 Standard | 1851 Standard | 1743 Standard | 1178 Standard | 626 Standard | 248 Standard |
As mentioned above, there are several reasons why an oven can catch fire. However, what about cases when you simply forgot to turn it off after taking the cooked food out? Can leaving the oven on cause a fire? It depends on several factors.
If there are grease splatters or if parts of the food have leaked all over the oven bottom, then even if it’s practically empty, an oven that’s still running on high temperature can cause a small fire. If your oven is clean there shouldn’t be any worry as fires need an ignition source (an electrical heating element or gas burner), fuel (oil splatters, grease buildups, food scraps) and oxygen. If you take one out, then there shouldn’t be any fire in sight.
Self-cleaning ovens rely on high temperature (500°C to be precise) to burn off any leftovers and grease spots left from cooking. Thanks to their pyrolytic ground coat, such ovens can reduce any food bits to ash, making it easier for you to clean the inside of the oven. For extra safety, the oven walls are coated with special porcelain which is resistant to heat and acid. Another safety feature is a mechanical interlock which keeps the oven door tightly shut and locked during and after the self-cleaning cycle. This is to make sure that you, your kids or pets, won’t get burned by accidentally opening the door midway.
So can a self-cleaning oven actually catch fire? There are actually reports by owners who say that their self-cleaning oven caught fire midway the cleaning cycle. So it’s actually possible, but it’s not that common. The most common cause for flames in these ovens are food scraps and too much grease buildups. If you leave larger bits of food inside or know that there’s a tiny puddle of grease but still decide to turn on the self-cleaning feature, then you’re bound to end up with a grease fire inside the oven. Always make sure to remove any bigger food bits and grease buildups before using the self-cleaning cycle. There are also special cleaning products for self-cleaning ovens that are used before turning on the program.
Another possible cause for a fire in a self-cleaning oven can be poor insulation or cracks in the porcelain coating. If you notice any of these, don’t use the self-cleaning feature before you fix them.
You might think that once your cooker has been in flames, you can’t use it again and should buy a new one. Chances are you actually can use an oven after a grease fire. You just have to make sure you’ve cleaned it thoroughly and it’s functioning properly. But how do you clean an oven after a fire?
There are several specific steps that you must take when cleaning an oven after fire extinguisher use.
If the grease fire in your oven was rather small, chances are it died out on its own once the oxygen in the oven ran out. Maybe you’ve poured salt or baking soda over it just in case, to make sure it’s completely out. The cleaning process is basically the same as after fire extinguisher use. You have to vacuum any salt or baking soda, loosen any caked bits and remove any bits of burnt food. Once this is done, proceed with a regular oven cleaning.
Hire professional oven cleaning services instead.
Preventing a grease fire is actually a lot easier than most people think. You don’t need any special equipment or knowledge. All you have to do is:
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Have you ever dealt with a grease fire? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
Image sources: Pixabay, Deposit Photos: AndreyPopov, brebca
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