The day Google failed me
I have always been a big fan of Google. In fact, I was pretty sure you could find out just about anything you needed to know with a quick Google search. At least, that had always been the case in the past. Not yesterday, though.
I had been baking most of the morning and had inadvertently left the oven on in between baking banana bread and baking whole wheat bread while I took a break to nurse Kaitlynn. Kathrynne was close beside me and I wasn't paying much attention to anything in the kitchen until I heard a strange crackling sound.
The crackling continued to get louder so I decided to get up and investigate.
It seemed to be coming from the oven so I quickly opened it up to determine what on earth it was. To my surprise, I was met with a little blazing fire inside.
Not one to be quick on my feet, I turned off the oven, shut the oven door, and contemplated my options: I could let it be and see if it would burn out, I could try dowsing it with water, or I could call my husband.
I decided calling my husband was probably the best option. Six tries later, I realized that he wasn't reachable. Of all days for me to not be able to get through to him through the usual avenues!
The fire continued to blaze and thoughts started running through my head about the oven exploding. (I know, I know, call me crazy but I'm a mom so I've had to learn to think in terms of worst case scenario!)
I realized maybe I should get the girls out of the kitchen so I took them upstairs and put them both in their beds. At least if this thing explodes they'll be far away from it, I thought.
I remembered something that Jesse had said about not throwing water on an electrical fire, but what was it you were supposed to do when it was an electrical fire? I was scratching my brain and coming up empty.
Then inspiration struck me: Google! That's it! I can always find the answer by Googling it.
So there I sat, Googling "what to do when your oven catches on fire" on my laptop and watching the fire burn up the element in my oven. I had a few fleeting thoughts of newspaper headlines reading, "Woman dies in oven explosion while Googling how to put out the fire." Wouldn't that just make a great story.
As much as I love Google, I found out that there are some things which it doesn't have the answers for--things like what to do when your oven is on fire. Apparently most people don't post about putting out their oven fires while the fire is blazing. I guess we're not quite that technologically advanced.
Oh well. At least I tried.
I finally gave up on Google and just shut the oven door and waited for about 10 minutes. The element was destroyed, but the fire finally went out. And all is well.
I had been baking most of the morning and had inadvertently left the oven on in between baking banana bread and baking whole wheat bread while I took a break to nurse Kaitlynn. Kathrynne was close beside me and I wasn't paying much attention to anything in the kitchen until I heard a strange crackling sound.
The crackling continued to get louder so I decided to get up and investigate.
It seemed to be coming from the oven so I quickly opened it up to determine what on earth it was. To my surprise, I was met with a little blazing fire inside.
Not one to be quick on my feet, I turned off the oven, shut the oven door, and contemplated my options: I could let it be and see if it would burn out, I could try dowsing it with water, or I could call my husband.
I decided calling my husband was probably the best option. Six tries later, I realized that he wasn't reachable. Of all days for me to not be able to get through to him through the usual avenues!
The fire continued to blaze and thoughts started running through my head about the oven exploding. (I know, I know, call me crazy but I'm a mom so I've had to learn to think in terms of worst case scenario!)
I realized maybe I should get the girls out of the kitchen so I took them upstairs and put them both in their beds. At least if this thing explodes they'll be far away from it, I thought.
I remembered something that Jesse had said about not throwing water on an electrical fire, but what was it you were supposed to do when it was an electrical fire? I was scratching my brain and coming up empty.
Then inspiration struck me: Google! That's it! I can always find the answer by Googling it.
So there I sat, Googling "what to do when your oven catches on fire" on my laptop and watching the fire burn up the element in my oven. I had a few fleeting thoughts of newspaper headlines reading, "Woman dies in oven explosion while Googling how to put out the fire." Wouldn't that just make a great story.
As much as I love Google, I found out that there are some things which it doesn't have the answers for--things like what to do when your oven is on fire. Apparently most people don't post about putting out their oven fires while the fire is blazing. I guess we're not quite that technologically advanced.
Oh well. At least I tried.
I finally gave up on Google and just shut the oven door and waited for about 10 minutes. The element was destroyed, but the fire finally went out. And all is well.
Labels: Homemaking
posted by Crystal Paine at 5:02 PM
49 Comments:
I'm pretty sure you are supposed to put baking soda on a kitchen fire.........next time anyway!!!!
I am so glad you didn't panic. I am guilty of that. About 2 years ago I was slicing some potatoes to fry, I went ahead and heated the oil and as I turned around there was a fire in the pan. Of course I panicked and threw a glass of water on it. Big mistake, everyone knows water and oil don't mix, but when you panic, sometimes you do stupid things. Well lets just say I got a whole new kitchen out of the ordeal. Thankfully no one was hurt (except my poor kitchen), and my husband bought me a fire extinguisher that I keep by my stove.
Not to make you feel bad or anything, but did you turn off the oven when you shut the oven door? That's the one thing I've learned whenever there's a fire on top of the stove or in the oven - FIRST turn off before doing anything, unless the fire is preventing you from turning it off. Calling 911 for emergency advice helps too! 8^D
I am like you... I know my husband told me something about how to put out an electricial fire - I think he said to sprinkle salt? Eh... I don't know....
As for putting your girls in their beds, upstairs - I hate to say this, but that is a big NO-NO! NEVER put them UPSTAIRS in the event of a fire - I don't care what kind of fire! Put them the opposite side of the house, near a window if possible - that way you can escape out the window if the fire gets worse.
At any rate, I'm thankful that it didn't get worse! {{HUGS}}
Oh my!! Yikes! I am glad you are all ok! You made me laugh though...picturing you frantically searching for what to do while the oven is on fire! Goodness!
Yes, my husband said baking soda, which is what I was thinking, but I couldn't find any way to verify it so didn't want to try it.
Oh and I forgot to say I did think to turn off the oven first thing--at least I did one thing right! :)
And I had the phone handy to call 911 in case it got out of hand, which it didn't. I guess I did two things sort of right.
But my husband also told me I shouldn't have put the girls upstairs. However, I couldn't just stick them outside :) and the kitchen is open to our whole main floor. And I didn't think the basement was a great option either.:)
I really think I need to take some fire prevention and preparedness classes or something. :) I did learn a lot through the experience, though, so hopefully I'll be better at handling something like this in the future.
Oh, Mrs. Paine, what a morning! I'm so sorry to hear that your oven is messed up now!! :( I do suppose you will one day look back on that day and laugh, though. Actually, I think you've probably already done that, because there was definitely some humor that came through the post!! :) Oh, the life of a homemaker, huh? :) A wonderful life, but a crazy life at times. I'm so thankful and happy to hear that everyone's ok! Praise God for His wonderful protection and care!
A few Thanksgivings ago, I woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke. I walked out of my room and found Mama in the kitchen, bending over the oven. To make a long story short, Mama was cooking the turkey over night. That would have been fine, but she had forgotten about the amount of liquid that comes from the turkey while it cooks, and she had added too much water to the pan it was cooking in. So, the water was running over into the oven and was smoking profusely. It was a very cold night, but we had no other choice but to open all the doors, in an attempt to get the smoke out of the house. That was quite a night to remember! :) Looking back on it now, it provides us with quite a laugh.
Thanks for this post!
Rebekah
Flour! Throw flour on it the next time your oven catches fire! :-)
Do you have to pay for the replacement? That could get pricey, couldn't it?
Ohmigosh! So glad you and the girls are safe. I, too, wouldn't have known what to do. I have a gas stove and it's almost as old as our house (Harvestgold Yellow - circa 1950s???) We're talking about getting rid of it before the baby comes...but we have lots of other financial burdens to deal with before we get to it. PS. I was laughing by the end of your post - you just have to find the humor in life sometimes, I guess!
Since we're in a rental, they already came and replaced it free of charge as it was an oven malfunction and not our fault. One of the blessings of renting.
That is a blessing of renting. Scary though!
Now I can better appreciate the fact that my father always makes me have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen (after 8 years out of his house he still checks). I've never needed it - but you never know. A small one doesn't cost much at all. You can get them at Home Depot, etc.
Baking Soda....at least that is what I think you are supposed to do and if not, I guess I would find out later after i did it! I think salt works too, but I am not sure if it is smothering enough. What made it light on fire? At least you are safe and did not burn your house down!
Oh, how wonderful! That was quite a blessing, I'm sure! :)
yikes!!! As the wife of someone under the "emergency personnel" heading, I would have recommended calling the fire company or 911. It can't hurt. And trust me, while people call about really silly things, a fire in your oven is not one of them. I'm sure they could have walked you through what to do without dispatching the entire fire department!
I am glad that you are all well, and it was a contained fire that took care of itself, so to speak. :)
A fire extinguisher, maybe? :-)
My oven element caught fire one time, and my dad put it out by squirting it with a water gun. Well, that and turning the oven off. I had heard the thing about water and electric fires too, but like you I wasn't too quick on my feet.
Glad you're okay! And man, that post made me laugh.
You should have called 911. They will tell you what to do.
We have a fire extinguisher in our kitchen.
Did I think to use it?
No.
I completely forgot we had it.
Like I said, I'm not one to be quick on my feet.
Ugh.
I've realized that during a time of panic, we all lose our minds! lol So, don't feel bad about not reaching for the fire extinguisher; I wouldn't have thought to either!
Yeah, putting the girls on the second floor wasn't so bright. What would you have done if the first floor caught fire? You could have kept them by the front door as far away from the fire but with access to get out. We were always taught to keep flour by the stove - and then of course the fire extinguisher should be handy.
Wow, Crystal,
I've never had anything like that happen---and I hope I don't ever!
The very next blog I read had an entry about kitchen fires in it. Thought you might like to see it since this is fresh in your mind!
http://blog.achristianhome.org/
It's the Feb. 10 entry.
So glad you all were okay!
Enjoy the new oven! ;)
Blessings,
Jill J
911 or baking soda! And the first thing that came to my mind was "Oh, no, don't put the girlies upstairs! But I'm sure you did what you thought was best and could hopefully have retrieved them again in a hurry if need be.
Crystal,
One time I was toasting sliced almonds in the oven, and I forgot about them till I smelled smoke. I opened the door, and flames shot out at me. It really freaked me out, and I did pick up the little fire extinguisher we had and used it. It certainly put the fire out, but what an incredible mess that yellow powder made all over my house. I had to vacuum for days. I found yellow dust everywhere, even in the bedrooms and closets. I understand now, that the nuts would have eventually gone out after turning off the oven, but I was very inexperienced at cooking back then. My husband and I had a good laugh over it. And I'd take the yellow dust from the extinguisher any day over burning down the house:) Glad you are all safe.
Ann
I am glad to hear that you and the girls are safe.I would have been in a panic because I don't think fast under tense moments.
You need to read Amy Scott's story about her oven explosion.
I am so glad that you are all safe and sound. Blessed be the Lord!
I had to google to see what came up and actual hit a couple hits that said, 'keep the oven door closed and call 911.'
But it made me laugh that NOW if you google "what to do when your oven catches on fire" the 6th or so option is your blog about not being able to google it. So, people will come to you for the answers. :)
Oh geez... how scary! I had a small fire on my stove on day and my immediate response was to reach for water, but as I was filling a cup up I remembered the baking soda thing. It worked like a charm but I was so shaken up by it! I felt like I was going to pass out.
Hi! I'm new to the blog as of this week. I just thought in case others are reading and encounter the same problem....
I had the same thing happen a couple of years ago, and panicked as well!
Thankfully, my husband was home and despite me yelling about a fire - he was cool headed enough to flip the breaker.
Once the electricity to it was completely off, and the door still closed to oxygen, the fire went out - only burning up maybe an inch of the element. (Still had to get it replaced though)
I think you did the right thing. Water would have been very wrong. Baking soda would of worked, but turning off the oven and closing the door was smart.
Crystal, you said you're not one to be quick on your feet, but I have to say, you are definitely not one to panic either--and that is great!
What a morning, huh?!!
Well, with a new stove safely installed and you and the girls not harmed, it just makes for a great conversation starter, huh? :)
PHebe
Likely you know the thing to do in future now, but after turning off controls to oven, go to the fuse box and shut off the electricity to the oven. We had basically the same event last year with our oven (we rent too) and the oven had to be replaced because the controls had been damaged. There can be other problems as well. My husband is an electrical engineer, but since yours is not, I advise to get an electrician in to check and see if wires, etc have been damaged elsewhere even. But your landlord SHOULD take care of this matter!! And in future, I would not go off and leave oven on when you are not home. Frankly, with all this junk that is made in another country, we are not so safe as we were in years past!! Do be careful!!
Oh Crystal -- I didn't realize the extent of this when you told me! LOL I have to tell you, though, this post made me laugh out loud. Ya' know why? BEEN THERE...DONE THAT!!!!!!!!! At least you're better than me -- I was actually ready to pour water on it, but wisely decided to call my husband first -- good choice! LOL YEP -- baking soda, flour, and even salt -- works great. :)
Debi
Never hesitate to call the fire dept. That's what they do! Please, please, go to wal mart/target today and buy a fire extinguisher for your kitchen!!! Look for an ABC type which is dry chemical. Keep it in the kitchen where it can be grabbed easily. While you're at it, check your smoke detector batteries!
Fire safety is soooo very important. You get great readership and this could be a lifesaving topic for you to discuss. Your family should have an escape plan and meeting place outside (away from the house). Most fire departments wouldn't mind making an appointment for the girls to come in and meet firemen and see their gear so that they are not afraid of them. I could go on...(my dad has been a fireman for over 20 years)
Wow! So glad you and the girls were ok...and that it wasn't a major fire. That is so scary. My toaster oven caught on fire when my son was a baby and thankfully it didn't do much damage...but it was a scary moment. Singed the cabinet above and left a huge black spot on the wall that needed to be fixed. Still haven't had another toaster oven though! But we do have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and in the garage right outside the door to the kitchen. God bless...Ann'Re
BAKING SODA!
Glad you & the girls are safe & ok.
If there was a bright flash when you first opened the oven door, then it was the element that was burning out and catching some drippings or stuff on fire. I had that happen to me last year. Just shutting the door and turning off the power was probablly good enough.
I was toasting coconut in the oven for a Thanksgiving pie and forgot about it for a while. When I remembered it and went to get it out, I had a fire. Luckily it was a pan that was removable and not the actual oven. None-the-less, it was scary. I was glad the DH was home and able to take care of it. I too was thinking "headlines"- Woman burns down house while toasting coconut. My second thought was, "I'm gonna burn down the house and I wasn't even deep frying a turkey." Good to know that I'm not the only one with these issues. I'm also glad that the only loss was your oven. I guess a new one has to go in the budget now. Sigh! Hey you can go out to eat for Valentines! And then have a "date" to oven shop.
Crystal,
If you want to read about the toasted coconut fiasco, here's the link. http://modernchristianhomestead.blogspot.com/2007/11/little-thanksgiving-excitement.html
Also I'm glad that you're renting and didn't have to shop and pay for a new oven. I'm not sure our landlord would have worked as quickly as yours to get a replacement in.
Dear, Crystal, I have to share this story with you about my 17-year-old daughter. In November of last year, we were in the throes of baking for the 4-H bake-off contest. The entrants' ages in my house at the time were 17, 12, 8, and 6. Ashley is my only daughter. We spent the morning baking our little hearts out. When it was time for me to leave for my bookstore (12:15), the children were not finished baking. I left Ashley in charge of completing the baking and delivering the baked goods to the 4-H office by 3:00. At 1:00, I get a phone call from Ashley. It went like this, "Mom, I set the oven on fire, but I put it out with the fire extinguisher." Okay, my heart skipped a beat or two. She went on to explain that she put in a pan of biscuits and sent the big boys upstairs to play. She had the baby tucked in for a nap, and she had the 4-year-old set up in the living room to watch an educational DVD. After she put the biscuits in the oven, she turned to the sink to do the dishes. She looked over to the oven, and she saw a fire. (It was discovered later that she dropped a hot pad in the oven when she put the biscuits in, and that was what caught fire.) At that moment, one of the boys came downstairs. She sent him upstairs to tell the others to evacuate. So they got the little one up from his nap and got the 4-year-old from the living room, and the 12-year-old took them all to our detached garage. During all of this, she gets out our fire extinguisher and puts out the fire. THEN she called her Daddy and then me. She ruined the batch of biscuits that were baking, and she still had items to bake. So she calls the 4-H office and asks permission to come there to finish baking. She takes all of the baked items and her unbaked Johnny cake and some cookies to the 4-H office. She left the 12-year-old with the little ones, and she called in my mother-in-law for reinforcements for him. After baking her items at the 4-H office and turning all the items in, she returns home to a house covered in a fine dust left from the fire extinguisher. We decided to pick up something for dinner that night, and we went to the 4-H awards ceremony for the bake-off. Ashley won best of show for the Johnny Cake that was transported unbaked to the 4-H office, and all of them won various ribbons for the baked projects. The next day, we ran our oven on the clean cycle, and it cleaned right up. And the heating element was left undamaged. WHEW!!!! So I congratulate her on a job well done!!!! And I am very sorry for such a long comment!
Have a blessed day!
Baking soda. Which, no offense, but I learned in a college chemistry class! I'm just saying. :)
Just for fun, I googled it. This was the third page which came up.
http://www.ehow.com/how_114403_kitchen-fire.html
And your post was so funny. I am glad y'all are fine. You handled it much better than I would ever have.
Maybe your article will show up in Google now! ;)LOL
And truthfully, when did you think of blogging about it?
Sorry about your oven. Glad you're ok.
So glad you are ok, I remember in a fire safety class being told never to go upstairs incase there is a fire, you won't be able to get your kids out.
I know in parenting classes they really recommend all parents do baby/child first aid & safety as well as a fire prevention class, I already know some classmates whose actions after the class have saved their childrens lives. Might be a good idea.
Our element burned out the weekend before Christmas last year. It didn't catch on fire, but popped so loudly it made my husband, my dog and myself hit the floor.
Glad you are all okay!
I shouldn't laugh -- it's a blessing that you're well and whole -- but I can imagine myself trying to Google my way out of disaster, too!
I have an little extinguisher I keep in the laundry room (right off my kitchen); however, I don't know if I would have had the presence of mind to grab it and use it correctly.
Glad all is well!
Baking soda, NOT FLOUR...flour can actually explode things if its moisture content gets too low. In college, I didn't know him but a fellow student tried out the "flour is flammable at low moisture" theory, and let's just say it worked way too well. :(
I have actually had to use baking soda to put out a fire and it works unless it is an electrical fire- in which case the electricity can keep it sparking up again. At that point, you just call 911.
I have heard of keeping a coffee can of baking soda close to your stove for just such times. I have yet to put one next to mine, but now I think I had better. You just never know what can happen. Glad you are all safe!
Wow! I'm so glad you and your girls are OK.
Also, I just wanted to let you know about www.prolifeinternet.com . It's google, but it benefits the prolife cause. :)
You really need to have a fire extiguisher in your kitchen!
My dad was a fireman. Here is his recommendation. Never, ever, throw anything on a fire. Chances are, in an emergency, you'll grab the wrong thing. There are 3 elements needed to keep a fire going. It needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. If you cut off one, the fire will go out.
The most effective way to cut off oxygen is to smother it. So, some suggestions would be: if you have a fire in a pot on top of the stove, put a lid on it. If you have a fire in the oven, keep the door closed. While keeping the door closed will not cut off all the oxygen (otherwise the fire wouldn't have started, huh?), it will help keep it from getting a lot of oxygen.
Then, you should cut off the fuel, in this case, the heating element. This means, that the most effective way of getting this fire to go out is to reduce the heat. That is hard to do.
However, calling the fire department would have been wise. My Dad has a painting that shows a blazing fire. In the painting, there is a hose running across the yard. My dad always told me that the first thing you should do in a fire is call 911. That would always be my recommendation. Even if it is embarassing.
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