Microwave Accidents – Preventive Tips

8/16/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damage in kitchen due to microwave fire

Microwaves are used every day, either at home or at work.

We have become so reliant on them but do not always think about our appliance that can become a potential fire hazard when used incorrectly. We recently had a client that had to learn the hard way unfortunately. A fire started in her microwave and spread quickly throughout the entire kitchen and into other living areas.

Although unfortunate, SERVPRO of Rio Rancho/Sandoval County & SERVPRO of South Albuquerque are here to help when times get tough!

Always remember to follow and reference the tips below:

To minimize risk of fire, never attempt to heat articles that are not approved for use in microwave ovens.           

Remove food from packaging before defrosting in a microwave oven. Do not use plastic storage containers, foam trays and plastic wraps in microwave ovens because they are not heat stable at high temperatures. Melting or warping can occur which may cause harmful chemicals to migrate into the food making the food contaminated.

Never use recycled paper products in microwave ovens unless they are specifically approved for microwave use. Some recycled products including paper towels and even waxed paper may contain minute metal flecks. When a microwave oven is operating, the interaction between microwaves and the metal can cause sparks and even flames causing the issues our client recently had.

If you have a fire in your microwave, turn it off immediately. This will stop the fan, so it won’t feed oxygen to the flames.

Then simply wait until the fire suffocates. Never open the oven door until you are certain that the fire is out. If in doubt, call your local fire department.