Oops nearly burnt the house down...

I made dinner tonight and took it around to the neighbours house to eat - they have a newborn, so it's easier to eat there. I spent about 3 1/2 hours there, and came home and felt the heat from the kitchen as soon as I walked into it.

I thought I must have left the oven on, then realised that no - I'd left a stove element on with a frying pan on it that also had a heavy plastic stirring spoon in it

I think the one thing that saved the house from burning down was that I had filled the pan with water after I was done with it, so it would have evaporated through that for a fair while. The stirrer is completely melted, and stuck to the pan, and the pan is all blackened so will have to throw both out

I am so incredibly thankful it didn't catch fire though!!!!!!!

Whoo boy - you are lucky!

But I can guarantee that you won't make that mistake again!

Originally Posted by valanhb

Whoo boy - you are lucky!

But I can guarantee that you won't make that mistake again!

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You'd HOPE not... I blame pregnancy brain so you never know.

ouch, plastic stinks also,

here is a story for you.
i was home visiting my family from college, sleeping in what used to be my bed, when i get woken up by the fire alarms going off. first i smell grease and then something that really stinks, i open my door, to find a hall ways thick with smoke, so i ran down the staris, though the smoke i can see something bright red on the stove. i go over there, and there is pan and a plastic something in there that had melted and was on fire, the bottom of the pan was red hot. Turning the stove off i open the window, knock out the screen and throw the pan outside, As i open the back door to go spray some water on it my mother & father along wit some of there friends come walking out of the barn.

my mother askes me bruce why are you outside naked,
i just looked at her as said cause you guys where trying to burn the house down. i turned aorund got my colthes and whet back home so i could get some sleep

Hopefully you aired everything out!!! Those smells would be bad for you.

I am glad you, the kitties and the baby are ok. (Yup - pregnancy brain can do wierd things to you!)

Oh wow- i'm glad you are all ok and that it was only the pot/stirrer that suffered

Wow you are lucky. Don't tell DH!

Wow!! You got SO lucky!!

Glad everything is ok and nothing was burned down.

You were really lucky!!!!

I have a story to tell too.

A couple of years ago my son came home after being out all night and decided to fix himself something to eat. So he turned on the electric skillet and then went to lay down for just a few minutes while it was heating up. (That's what he said anyway).

I came home from work about six hours later and noticed heat when I walked into the kitchen, and then noticed the skillet was extremely hot with nothing in it at all. My son was still asleep so I went to wake him up and ask what was going on. I was shocked to find out he had come home and turned on the skillet right after I left for work and then just left it on all day.... KIDS!

OMG!!!!!!!!

Someone is sure watching over you and your kitties!

Thank goodness you put water in the pan.

Glad you and your babies are ok

Wow, you're lucky you came home and found it.I'm glad that you didn't burn down the house.

One night when I was very young and my only cookware was a cheap aluminum saucepan, I filled it with water and put it on to boil for mac-n-cheese. Then I got a phone call from a friend and went to lie down on the bed while we talked.

A couple of hours later, I came out to the kitchen and found that the aluminum saucepan had melted all over the electric burner.

I thought I had ruined the stove and would be in trouble when I left that apartment... but once it all cooled down, to my amazement, I was able to simply flake the aluminum right off the heating element... no problem!

Really, really glad your story had a happy ending, too.

Back in the early 1980's I had a close call too

I lived in an older 3 story walk up building. One day I decided to make some chili. I was also doing laundry.

The laundry room was in the basement...4 floors down (I lived on the 3rd floor). Unfortunately if you didn't tend to your laundry immediately someone would steal it And at times people would steal it when it was sopping wet.

The basement was also a creepy looking place...unfinished and lots of doors that had storage lockers and whatever else behind them. So I tended to not stay down there any longer than I absolutely had to.

This one day when I was making chili, I had timed the washer. I turned off the element under the pan that I was browning green pepper and onions, and went to the basement to take out the dry clothes and put the washed stuff in the dryer. Not sure how long I was gone...maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

I get up to the landing between the second and third floor and a girl comes running telling me that my apartment is on fire!!!!!!!!!!!

I rush up the last steps and see several fire fighters standing outside my door and another fire fighter come running down the hall carrying an axe panting "I've...I've...I've got the axe!" I was stunned. It was funny, but scarey too.

I unlocked my door and my apartment was filled with smoke...thick smoke.

Apparently someone across the way saw smoke billowing out of my kitchen window and called 911...thankfully!

There was no fire, but instead of turning the element under my chili pan off, I accidently turned it onto HIGH and burned everything in the pan...and my pan.

I was afraid for my cat because I couldn't find her. I eventually found her underneath some clothes in a laundry basket in the walk in closet. She had gone to hide from the smoke. The fire fighters checked her out and gave her oxygen and used a huge fan to blow out the smoke.

That experience maimed me for life! I now check and recheck my stove dials when I turn them off just to be sure.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

One night when I was very young and my only cookware was a cheap aluminum saucepan, I filled it with water and put it on to boil for mac-n-cheese. Then I got a phone call from a friend and went to lie down on the bed while we talked.

A couple of hours later, I came out to the kitchen and found that the aluminum saucepan had melted all over the electric burner.

I thought I had ruined the stove and would be in trouble when I left that apartment... but once it all cooled down, to my amazement, I was able to simply flake the aluminum right off the heating element... no problem!

Really, really glad your story had a happy ending, too.

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