Leave coffee maker plugged in?

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Keep an eye on what you fry



Nov 18 2006

By PHILIP PALERMO

The Mirror

A stove left on when the power was out caused serious damage to a home near Southwest 322nd Street.

South King Fire and Rescue responded to a house fire call at about 3:15 p.m. Nov. 15.

When they arrived, firefighters saw smoke and flames coming from the back of the house.

The agency initially said the fire started in the kitchen with a rice cooker.

Further investigation revealed the source of the fire was an aluminum pan on the stove.

The owner of the home had tried to heat up vegetable oil in a pan earlier, said Public Information Officer Kendra Kay.

As a result of high winds and rain, electricity in the area had been knocked out and the stove would not turn on. The burner was left in the "on" position, Kay said.

"When the power came back on, the oil in the pan heated and eventually caused a fire," she added.

The owner was not at home at the time of the fire.

When firefighters arrived at the house, Kay said one occupant, believed to be the homeowner's daughter, was inside and escaped without injury.

Damage to the home is estimated at $250,000, Kay said. The incident caused fire damage in the kitchen and dining room. The rest of the house suffered smoke damage.

When firefighters suspected the rice cooker, Kay said it could serve as a reminder that small appliances could cause large damage.

"They do happen," she said. "We had one incident last year with a coffee pot plugged in."

In that incident, the homeowner wasn't brewing any coffee and left the coffee maker plugged in for its built-in clock.

Even though it wasn't in use, the coffee maker malfunctioned, leading to a fire.

"Some people are probably surprised," Kay said. "Anything with a heating element has the possibility that it can happen."

The agency's advice is to leave small kitchen appliances with heating elements, such as toasters, coffee makers and rice cookers, unplugged when not in use.

Larger devices, such as microwave ovens, don't pose the same threat and can be left plugged in, Kay added.

"Our other message is 'Keep an eye on what you fry'," she said.

After investigators determined the cause to be a pan left on an activated burner, Kay said the incident still demonstrated some important lessons.

With the recent wild weather, power outages are more likely. Residents, she said, need to make sure appliances such as stoves and ovens are turned off.

Kay said the fire was accidental and no charges are expected to be filed.