Saturday, March 22, 2008

Slice of Life Challenge #19 - Whoops!!!

Okay, so this morning I was headed to IKEA...I had other things on my mind. I must have, when I put the tortilla into the toaster oven. I toasted it on one side, flipped it over and headed to check my laptop, twenty feet away. I don't know how much time passed when I looked over...there was SMOKE billowing out of the toaster oven. Sure, there's been smoke before, but never like this...as I turned the toaster oven around, there was FIRE!!!!!!!!! inside it!

Quickly, I unplugged the toaster oven and then tried to blow it out. Yeah, right...I had no idea what to do and had no fire extinguisher. I seriously was a little scared. I managed to close the door, and dumped it into the sink, which was less than two feet away. I got out baking soda and started to pour it onto the appliance. The fire went out, but oh wow...the smoke!

Just then my friend showed up. I let her in and we began the process of airing out the house a little so the smoke detectors would stop going off. Even after we came back from Chicago, the smell of smoke still penetrates my house and reminds me how stupid I was. Not only will I NEVER do that again...I will think twice of leaving the toaster oven unattended. The toaster oven (which is, was, my sister's) is somewhat charred and sitting in my garbage can in the garage. I learned a few lessons today...but mostly I am so thankful that nothing worse happened and that everything is okay.

4 comments:

BK said...

Cathy,
So glad there's a happy ending to your slice. It could have been so much worse. What made you think of the baking soda?
Did you get a new toaster over yet.
Bonnie

Jane said...

Definitely a day worth remembering. Rejoicing with you that the fire was quickly put out!

~jane

Jane said...

Good instincts saved the day! It's amazing how so many ordinary things could go really wrong, but somehow they don't. Glad you were able to contain the fire.

GirlGriot said...

So glad the fire didn't go beyond the toaster oven! In my old apartment, I had a talking smoke/fire detector. The one time I set a fire in my oven (that broiler pan was just a little too close to the broiler flame!), it just started shouting, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" It was so disconcerting, I couldn't decide at first whether to deal with the shouting or go deal with the fire!
--Stacie