Kitchen Fire!

@winterose (39887)
Canada
July 8, 2008 9:03pm CST
I called my boyfriend a few nights ago and he couldn't talk to me. He had just gotten in from his painting session, he told me his kitchen was on fire. His mom of 82 years old lives with him, somehow she left the convection oven on, though she says she never touched it. they had stuff on top of the oven, like a jar of peanut butter, etc, the plastic was all melted peanut butter was everywhere. When he did call me back his said it took two hours to clean it all up. Have you ever heard of a convection oven, turning on by itself? This is what the mother said must have happened? Have you ever had a fire with a convection oven or any kind of oven?
14 people like this
33 responses
@GardenGerty (157047)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I have not used a convection oven, I would first suspect Alzheimers or another form of dementia, in his mother. If the oven turned on by itself he probably has faulty electrical wiring in his home.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
yes she is losing her memory, and she probably did it and didn't realize, yes grandpa bob, they will forget they had breakfast, they lost their short term memory but often remember things that happens many years before.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I agree as my dad will eat breakfast at 8 a.m. then go back to bed. He has gotten up at 9 a.m. wanting breakfast. AGAIN! He can't recall that he had just eaten an hour earlier. Sad isn't it? HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I'd guess that mom might've turned it on, by accident maybe, and not remembered. When I was much younger the little old lady in the apartment down the way from us waved me in to her place in a panic. Her burner was red hot and she didn't know why. Some how she had turned it on high and forgotten how to turn it off. We really liked her, but her idiot son put her in a nursing home.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
yes I think that is what happened too, I have already told him she can't be left alone much longer, anything could happen and this time he got a warning, maybe next time they won't be so lucky it is sad when they have to go to a nursing home but if they cannot be trusted, you wouldn't have wanted the lady to burn in a fire, nobody would.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Oh, we knew she was losing it, but she could've stayed there another year, because we were looking after her.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
23 Jul 08
Actually it is easy sometimes to turn a oven or stove on if it has knobs on the front and you brush up against them. I actually turned my grannies gas stove on many time doing this and never realizing it till we smelled gas. I have had fires start it is usually because of grease though. I have also accidently melted things on my stove top but it never caught fire.I am just glad it was caught in time and he had a home and mom to go home to.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
27 Jul 08
yes I have had several fires in our old house because of french fry grease when my son would make french fries, now we have a deep fryer and since then those fires have stopped.
1 person likes this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
14 Jul 08
Wow--- glad they found it before it got worse. Could have lost their whole house right? Good thing he came in when he did. I haven’t ever had a kitchen fire- I’ve had my towel catch on fire when I wiped off the burner- Duh me. I’ve never known an oven to turn on by itself. Could be she just forget she did.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
19 Jul 08
oh I have had two fires in two houses, and one in this one, little ones though, easy to put out.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Jul 08
Whew1 that was close. I am glad everyone is okay. Send both of them my love. I have only had regular gas ovens. Convection ovens seem scary now.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
19 Jul 08
thank you hon, yes I will send them your love
2 people like this
• United States
23 Jul 08
I am emberessed to say I had an oven fire before. The bigest problem was I kept a pot of frying oil in my oven and my frying pans. I was in a hurry and locked the oven and put it on to clean. Well when the oven reached a certain degree the handles on the frying pans started a fire. I was so scared of the oil in the oven. I tried to open it and couldnt, good job because the air would have fueled it more. I turned the oven off and caled the fire dept. It was actually almost out by the time they came but didnt want to take the chance with the oil inside. My kitchen walls were black and greasy. What a mess. At your boyfriends probaly his mom switched it on and forgot, but you wont really know. Good luck.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
27 Jul 08
gosh that had to be very scary, I am sure.
1 person likes this
@dfollin (24146)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I have never had a fire start like that before.Is the knob on the oven on the bottom? I have had instances when I or someone else has accidentally bumped it and it turned on and we did not realize it till later.I have never had my oven catch on fire.One time on my electric stove top,some vegetable oil had spilled down the side of the pan and the pan caught fire.Luckily I happened to walk back in the kitchen when I did and I quickly filled a large cup with water and just put it out.Thank God that no one was hurt and there was not more damage.Your boyfriend should be thankful,he only had 2 hours of mess to clean-up,it definitley could of been worse.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
yes that is another possibility, something bumped up against it,
@AmbiePam (84651)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I'm glad everything turned out OK, I mean I'm glad no one was hurt. I have never heard of an oven turning itself on. Unless the wiring short circuited I would imagine his mother thought she turned it off, but maybe she didn't turn it completely off. I don't know what her oven looks like, but a lot of ovens have knobs that if you aren't careful, it won't be turned off completely, even though it appears to be shut off.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
yes |I think the mother forgot to turn it off though she said she didn't touch it, I think she may just have been to afraid to tell the truth.
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Wow, Good thing they were able to help it right away and it didn't cause a lot of damaged! I have not heard about that winterose but, I experienced almost burning our kitchen too..I didn't notice that I set 25 minutes in warming up a BBQ and it was smoking a lot and good thing my husband was able to notice it...I was in the room ironing his clothes, trying to do 2 things at the same time..LOL!
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
me too, I have almost had serious fires, the oven caught on fire, a few months ago, here, that was scary for me.
@raydene (9871)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Hi Sweet I have never heard of it but they could have been a short or something could have been pushed against it enough to start it. The smell must have been awful with that plastic! I hope they didn't breath alot of it..especially bad for elderly. xoxoxoxoxo
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
I hope so too, it is scary, I have been telling my boyfriend for awhile that she needs a sitter now, but he doesn't see it yet.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Seems rather odd to me. If the convection oven did just start a fire on its own, I'd be getting in touch with the manufacturer to report it.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
could be a short in the wall, or she bumped up against it and somehow turned it on, there is no warranty left on it.
• United States
9 Jul 08
I have a convection oven, which is great for baking potatoes and grilled cheese open face sandwich. I keep it plugged in at the outlet. The dials have to be set for the time and temperature needed, and a buzzer goes on after the food is broiled or baked. It should be turned to "Off." I have occasionally taken out the rolls or pizza and forgot to turn the temperature knob off. Nothing has happened, thank G-d. I don't let my father (94 next week) use the oven or the stove because he is forgetful, and I'm afraid he might burn up a pot, pan, food, or himself. Whenever I go out I pre-arrange for an "elder nanny" come in to make him lunch or dinner.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
yes I agree, my boyfriend's mother needs a sitter now too.
• United States
9 Jul 08
I have never heard of a covection oven turning on by itself. You manually have to turn it on. It sound like she was trying to cover thigs up by saying that. I don't want to sound mean here by any means but if she is doing stuff like this and claiming she's not it's very possible altimehers is setting in for this is what happens with this disease. Has this happend with other things in the past that things have happend and she said it did it by itself? Your boyfriend is very lucky to have caught that in time for god only knows what would have happend if he wasn't their and the whole place caught in flames. He should have her looked into for that. I know he cares about his mom and takes care of her but he also can't be haveing this kind of stuff go on like this either. I haven't had a fire with any kind of oven that I have had.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
no nothing like that before but she is losing her memory that has been happening for a while now. She is very bright, no alzheimers, just memory loss, but she is 81 years old and that is normal for old age. It could have been a short as well. They don't even use that oven very much.
• Philippines
10 Jul 08
good day..well, not in an oven exactly but on a stove. i forgot that I was boiling water in a pot and it almost evaporated altogether. Such a waste and very hazardous.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
yes it is very dangerous, I have done that before too.
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
9 Jul 08
oh my. No a stove cant turn its self on! and things on top of stove sounds reasonable that they could start a fire after a long time of the oven being on!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
maybe a short, but I think the mother just forgot to turn it off.
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
12 Jul 08
yup could have been that!
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Oh my, I never heard of a convection oven turning on by itself, especially if it's plugged in. At that lovely age, your memory slips. Heck, I'm 32, and my memory isn't the best anymore. I honestly feel bad for your boyfriend. That had to be a pain to clean up the peanut butter. Hopefully, it didn't ruin the oven. Only time I had a fire was with the stove top. Luckily, I remembered that salt puts out a fire. His mom has to face facts that it's time to stay out of the kitchen and let her son run things. My grandmother is 86, and lord forbid any of us tell her how she does things. She broke her arm one year, because she thought she could stand on a swing to hang a plant. I do hope I have her spunk at that age. I thought from reading your discussions, that you and your boyfriend lived together. Boy was I ever wrong.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
now he has his own home and his mom lives with him, when she passes on we, meaning me and my son will be living with him, and lord that would be easier on the finances,
1 person likes this
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
11 Jul 08
That could be a long time. My grandmother is 86 and is going strong, my husband's great grandmother lived up into her 90's before she passed away. Maybe with some sweet talking, your boyfriend can get his mom to understand it would be good for you and your son to move in with them. His mom is probably old fashioned like my parents, this doesn't mean you and your boyfriend will be sleeping together. More like room mates, to help each other out. For room and board, you would be there to help out with his mom. I don't know, ideas just running through my head.
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Is the oven controlled by knobs? Another possibility is something bumped into it and turned it on unintentionally. I think that would be harder to do with digit al controls, where you have to firmly push buttons - though something inside my microwave oven popped one time when I pushed the start button
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
yes knobs, and yes she is very forgetful now that she is older, there is a very marked difference in her memory.
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
9 Jul 08
Oh yes, and don't blame old age for being forgetful - I was in my twenties when I got distracted while heating oil in a skillet - I left it on and forgot about it, until smoke filled the house and I looked in - the fire was licking the cabinets above the stove. Thankfully the only damage was on the floor, and small second degree burns to my hands.
1 person likes this
@twallace (2675)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I haven't had a fire start like that before but at least he got home in time before it got really bad. I haven't heard of a converction oven starting up on it own before, but there is a first time for everything. Anyway I'm glad that things are fine and his mother it ok. That is the good part of the whole thing.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
she probably turned it on and forgot about it, I told him to keep it unplugged because may next time they won't be so lucky.
@Margajoe (4709)
• Germany
9 Jul 08
Hi! I have an electric oven. Left it on the whole night. Nothing happend, but it was very warm in the kitchen,LOL! I take it there are no ghosts in the house?
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
11 Jul 08
NO ghosts
@Margajoe (4709)
• Germany
12 Jul 08
Hi!That is good!! Take care, have a nice weekend. Margajoe
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I have never heard of one turning on by itself.. Mybe his mom had forgotten to turn it off, if so, could she be getting forgetful.. I hope he will keep an eye on her just in case she is getting forgetful, as it could be dangerous.. I am so glad that the only bad thing was the 2 hour cleanup..
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
9 Jul 08
yes she is very forgetful, but remember this happened when he wasn't home, I told him to keep it unplugged now, it is better than burning up in a fire.