We came within a smidge of a fire this evening. The toaster was put on and left unsupervised. Its an electronically controlled toaster and it malfunctioned, to the point that the toast all but ignited. Fortunately it was spotted in time, switched off and thrown outside. The kitchen was smoked out and there was a lot of smoke in the dining room / living room. The smell has gone everywhere and its not that of burnt toast, its quite nasty.
A very fundamental issue is none of the four smoke alarms went off. This has being investigated. They were new last year. The reason was they were too far from the seat of the fire. By the time they activate we would have been in big trouble. Job on for an upgrade
So, paint work had to be cleaned up and we have a totalled toaster. The house is cold now due to all the ventilation. However, on a plus note we still have a house and not a burnt out ruin.
Morals are-
- don’t buy cheap toasters from Morrisons.
- don’t leave it unsupervised.
- always test smoke alarms regularly.
- have an escape plan.
- a fire is not something that happens to other people.
However this is the second time a toaster has gone up due to an internal fault. I am beginning to wonder if it is even worth buying them.
