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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) — A Jamestown house fire started by a malfunctioning air fryer is sparking fire safety discussions in the kitchen.
Last week, crews were dispatched to 214 Stowe Street in Jamestown for reports of flames within the residence. After quelling the blaze, investigators determined that an air fryer was to blame.
“It was plugged in,“ explained Fire Investigator Ryan Saunders. “Continuing to draw power from the outlet. And the fire was the result of residual heating from that fire being plugged in long term.”
When left plugged in, even when not in use, fire officials say any kitchen appliance has the potential to malfunction and overheat, sparking a fire.
“So you always want to unplug any kind of appliance that may have a heating element in it,“ explained Caruso. “Which could be an air fryer, any kind of coffee maker or Keurig, your curling iron, your regular irons for your clothing, or candle warmers so there’s no issues with them overheating due to being plugged in and malfunctions of the unit.”
There are plenty of things to keep an eye out for in the kitchen.
“You should never leave any kind of cooking items or appliances unattended when you’re using them,“ stated Fire Investigator Andy Caruso. “You want to make sure you keep combustible materials away from your ovens, your cooktops. Such as paper products, your cooking oils which can be hazardous. And any kind of material like your towels and pot holders, things like that, that could cause a fire to occur. And then also whenever you’re using any kind of these appliances you want to make sure you keep them clean, because over time as they build up grease, or oils, or things like that, then they can become a fire hazard as well.”
According to investigators, in 2022 Best Buy recalled over 700,000 air fryers for overheating issues that could have led to multiple accidental fires.
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