Think twice before you throw that plate of burnt food in the trash, says a former longtime EMT.
We’ve all done it before, overcooking or overheating food in a microwave, toaster or conventional oven. When that happens, the natural instinct is to dispose of it immediately, but that can be dangerous.
In a recent video posted to TikTok and Instagram, a former EMT named Alexandra reposted part of a clip of a woman saying she accidentally heated up her brownie in the microwave for two minutes instead of 20 seconds and after throwing it in the trash, it ignited a fire that burned down her house.
Perhaps an extreme scenario, but one you need to be aware of, Alexandra warned.
Feeling the burn
The next time you burn something in the kitchen, don’t take it out of the microwave or oven right away. If you see smoke, turn off the device and keep the door closed.
“You are not gonna leave that door open so that that smoke can come out of your microwave and into your kitchen and your home,” Alexandra explained.
If the smoke is gone after doing this, you’re in good shape and can safely remove the food and soak it in water. If not, you should call the fire department.
But even if the smoke has dissipated and everything “looks under control,” don’t toss that burnt food away just yet.
“If you have burnt food, don’t throw it into the trash until it cools somewhere safe, like the sink or stove top,” Ali said.
A hidden danger in the kitchen
The reason you need to take these precautions is so you don’t wind up like the woman in Alexandra’s video.
Even burnt food that looks innocuous can still cause a serious fire, the ex-first responder said.
“Fire doesn’t need a flame to start from something really hot. When you burn food, part of what makes it burn is that it got really, really hot and inside the black charred burnt parts of the food, can actually be little embers like a campfire,” Alexandra told viewers.
“Your trash is filled with other things that can help a fire grow and make it really dangerous, so we don’t throw out things in our trash that are actively smoking.”
We of course recommend not burning your food in the first place, but if and when it happens, please keep this stuff in mind.
