Speaking of grateful...

[CJ2008]

Had a fire in my microwave this afternoon.

Decided to make myself a small sweet potato like I did yesterday - peeled it, poked it a few times with a fork, then put it in the microwave.

Cooked it for 4 minutes on one side - then turned it around, put another 4 minutes, went into a different room. I had made the same thing yesterday - peeled it (which I usually don't do, it was my first time trying that) but had done 3 minutes each side which left it still a little hard.

I noticed after a little bit both cats were pacing back and forth and growling (yes, they both growl like dogs) - I thought maybe the gardeners were outside, didn't pay too much attention.

But when they wouldn't let up I listened more closely and yes there was definitely a noise...sounded maybe like the gardeners, but decided to go and check it out.

Found the sweet potato basically having mini fire explosions in the microwave.

Opened the oven door and carefully took the plate out - the baked potato was basically glowing inside. The picture is after like an hour. Completely charred through.

Had it not been for the cats growling and not letting up I really don't think I would noticed anything weird. And I may not have smelled anything for a while because I had the door to the room I was in closed (I always keep the cats with me when there's food out or anything cooking on the stove.)

I didn't check to see how much time was remaining in the microwave but whatever it was the fact that I got up made what happened a little less worse than it could have been.

Microwave is scorched inside...even after like 10 times of steaming water/vinegar, letting it sit, and using a Mr. Clean Eraser it still has black/gray spots all over.

But it could have been so much worse...

 

[momhappy]

Oh, wow, cj - I'm glad that it wasn't much worse....

 

[CJ2008]

Thanks momhappy...

And yes...it was in flames...

Made me also realize that our smoke detectors are not connected to the fire department - for some reason I always thought they were.

So basically if the smoke detectors ever go off it would be up to the neighbors to decide if something really is wrong and call the fire department.

Scary.

 

[amc80]

Thanks momhappy...

And yes...it was in flames...

Made me also realize that our smoke detectors are not connected to the fire department - for some reason I always thought they were.

So basically if the smoke detectors ever go off it would be up to the neighbors to decide if something really is wrong and call the fire department.

Scary.

Scary! And that's one well-cooked potato...

I'd think the only way fire alarms are connected to anyone is if you pay for a monitoring service? And that's not even direct- the service would see the alarm and notify local authorities.

 

[Puppmom]

Geez! Glad it didn't turn out worse. That happened to me a few Christmases ago. FIL didn't like the sides I was serving so MIL brought him a sweet potato. She put it in the microwave for 12 minutes! I guess that's how long it takes in her microwave? Anyway, I happened to walk by and see the flaming potato. It did not set off any smoke detectors but hopefully it would have eventually. And, at least in my case, it didn't smell like fire. It actually smelled good - like a roasted sweet potato!

 

[CJ2008]

amc80

Right - we pay for that for a regular alarm, I thought fire alarms were also included. But yes it would notify the alarm company first, who then would send out the fire dept. if we're not home. It would be faster than the neighbors noticing for sure. :/

puppmom

Depending on the size of the sweet potato can take up to like 5 minutes each side, maybe a little more. And I never put it for 10 minutes and just let it go...I split whatever time in half and turn it over.

But these are really small - and the one I made yesterday was just a little bit undercooked at 3 minutes each side, so I figured i'd try another minute each side and it would be perfect. I was wrong.

Not sure if the peeling also had something to do with it - I usually don't peel them. Was feeling too lazy to scrub it believe it or not.

ETA I just remembered something...I briefly considered making it on a small paper plate - really - I have those small dessert size paper plates which I use a lot to eat fruit on. And then last second I put it on regular plate.

Could've been worse...

 

[PintoBean]

O... M...G... ! I am so... glad that you are all safe and sound, and the only things worse for wear are the potato and the microwave !

You hear a lot of stories about dogs coming to the rescue, so it's super awesome to hear a kitty super hero story. As a mama to 3 kitties, I am NOT surprised by this. Super hero kitties to the rescue!!! (and i love when cats growl - it's super cute lololol - my kitten growls at me when I'm cutting her nails, but she doesn't struggle - just gives a frustrated growl lololol)

 

[CJ2008]

Hi Pinto

Yes - it is the cutest thing when they growl. If you were not looking at them sometimes they growl so ferociously you'd think it was a dog! (especially my girl).

But yes - they came to the rescue.

Thank goodness I was home - thank goodness I didn't step out to make a call - thank goodness I got up. Just one of those things where I could have easily stepped out for a minute.

 

[TooPatient]

Wow! Good kitties! So glad you are okay.

Add the smoke detector monitoring to your service! Ours added something like $5/month to the security system monitoring. Well worth it! (the only down side being that I have to not set it off while roasting coffee beans...)

Stick a paper plate of baking soda in your microwave. Really helps with the smell.
Don't bother with cleaning. It is stained forever. (someone (cough* "A" *cough) did that intentionally in ours with a chunk of bread. Scorched our marble backsplash and tile counters too...)

 

[VRBeauty]

YIKES!

So glad you decided against that paper plate - and that your kitties were on the job!

 

[azstonie]

Pacific salmon for those amazing kitties!!!

 

[monarch64]

Very frightening! Thank goodness your kitties sensed impending danger and alerted you. I'm glad you're ok and nothing more than a sweet potato and your microwave were harmed!!! Wish I could give you a big warm hug, that must have been so scary.

Animals are so valuable to we humans. Years ago, I set some eggs on the stove to boil and, wandered away to do something else while they were cooking. I ended up forgetting all about them and was upstairs when my beagle started whining like crazy and running around me in circles. He basically rounded me up until I followed him downstairs and realized I had forgotten about those stupid eggs. The water had boiled off (pot was totally dry) and the eggs were cracked and scorched and would probably have caught on fire in the next minute. It was a gas stove and the flame was on high. I was so freaked out over that for a long time. That dog kind of hated me but he saved us both.

Anyway, I am very grateful you and the kitties are ok!

 

[CJ2008]

Thank you all so much. (azstonie they got extra treats yesterday for sure! But seriously some extra hugs and gratitude )

Part of me felt like I was making a big thing out of nothing.

But the truth is that it did freak me out (monarch that is exactly the feeling and I don't think it will go away any time soon). I cannot believe the smell in the house after a 2 minute incident.

Just makes me think what it must be like to be in a real fire. Or those people who have come home to their house engulfed in flames. Not to mention if you had pets inside.

It really made me think.

TP I brought up the idea to DH about adding the smoke detectors and he said that houses don't just go up in flames. That everyone has regular smoke detectors and that is why you check before you leave the house make sure nothing's on, etc. So silly to "rely" on making sure of anything. People make mistakes. They leave the house in a rush. And I don't want to give up trying to clean it yet even though I know you're probably right that the microwave's stained permanently.

(and yes, VR the paper plate would have been STUPID. Thank goodness I didn't.)

You know, I am always grateful for the kitties but it was perfect that yesterday morning I thought it while answering VR's thread - but after that I love them even more.

 

[TooPatient]

I think our monitoring does the smoke and also CO. Carbon monoxide can just pop up out of no where. Maybe that would be worth it to him. Oh! Plus, we save more on our homeowner's insurance each month than the monitoring costs!

My DH didn't take much convincing... Well, if they neighbors don't hear the alarm (or think it is just cooking and ignore) all of our animals will die. I had a whole line of convincing ready to go but didn't have to after that one.

FWIW, our neighbor right next to us did have his alarm (basic smoke detectors, not monitored) go off. We never heard it. Had it actually been a fire, we would have had no idea. We are not that far from him and can hear car noises outside so should have been able to hear. Just with doors/windows shut in his house and ours plus the usual noises of life, it didn't get through to us.

I am human. Sometimes I forget stuff on.
Sometimes the dishwasher is part of a recall because the motors can catch fire even when not running.
Sometimes the fan in the HVAC freezes up and starts to overheat. (would have caught fire if I hadn't smelled it and turned it off)


Anyway, not trying to pressure you or make you feel bad for not having monitoring. Just passing on the thought process I had which (thankfully) my DH agreed with as soon as I mentioned.

 

[CJ2008]

TP very kind and thoughtful of you to say what you said about the pressure/feeling bad about the monitoring. Thank you. I know you're just trying to give me the reasoning you used, which is actually very helpful to me because I may need such and list of reasons other than the one about possibly making a mistake, since DH thinks we're SUPERhuman and if we do things right we should never forget or make any mistakes.

 

[TooPatient]

TP very kind and thoughtful of you to say what you said about the pressure/feeling bad about the monitoring. Thank you. I know you're just trying to give me the reasoning you used, which is actually very helpful to me because I may need such and list of reasons other than the one about possibly making a mistake, since DH thinks we're SUPERhuman and if we do things right we should never forget or make any mistakes.

We all have things like that. My DH, for example, sees no point to life insurance at all. Maybe just enough to pay the house for a year but no more. Sees no point to it! (now, I could see his logic if we had enough savings to make that work but if either of us died it would be catastrophic!)

It took all my logic to even convince him of the security system (it was the homeowner's insurance discount that finally won that argument!). We are in a "safe" neighborhood in one of the safest cities in the country....

Good luck! I hope you don't let the potato scare you too much (when you think about it, this is the first time in how many thousands and thousands of times using the microwave you had any issue!) and also that maybe your DH will begin to see that we are all only human