says Aryk, whom was making homemade salt and vinegar potato chips
I turn myself around to see a giant blinding flame over the stove
I looked and thought that people know what to do when a fire strikes in the kitchen, so I watched
(I do not.. for I have just started to spend my time IN the kitchen.. so.. all this cooking and cooking causing fires and such is pretty foreign to me)
apparently it is not only foreign to me.. but to Aryk as well.. for he turns on the fan above the the stove and POOF the fire is bigger
he runs off...
I run over to the flame because it now looks as though the flame is so big that it might catch the cabinets on fire... so I'm standing there holding this pot with a flame almost as big as I am
I'm watching the sleeve of my hoody smoking.. I ponder if this means that I might catch on fire... and if I do... yes I will stop drop and roll.. but where will I put this burning pot of fire while I do so?
Aryk is back from his running off and throws baking soda which then makes the fire go POOF into a bigger and scarier flame. He says "take it outside!" after a awkward exchange he runs up the stairs with the fire (fyi we live in a basement) and I start opening all the windows
Aryk eventually comes down the stairs.
Our basement is full of smoke
the landladies smoke detector beeping
but ours was not? (mental note : get that looked at!)
and now our ceiling has a very noticeable black circle on it...
so.. I'm thinking the house could have burnt down?
annnnd...
thats why we live here in the first place! Aryk's old household catching fire....
anyways.. I'm strangely calm (maybe its because I have been sick for over a week)
and Aryk informs me now that it is Baking POWDER
I'm going to do a quick 'google' so I can now be informed. as well as you!
tip one: animal lard or goose fat catches fire faster than cooking oil
tip two: turns out Aryk was right and it is baking soda that you use! but it only works for small fires and our was not small...
tip three: use a METAL lid, cause fire needs oxygen. NOT GLASS (which is what we have) for glass will shatter (thank goodness we didn't do that! more trauma that would have caused!)
we both knew not to put it in the sink or throw water on it :)
hmm.. I just read this: • Do Not Move the Pot or Carry It Outside - Throwing the pot outside might seem logical in the frenzy of the moment. But trying to move the pot might splash burning oil on you, your home, and anything outside.
so... all in all... the only thing that would have saved us... in the 'proper way' would have been a fire extinguisher or the metal lid. which we have neither
orrrr the fire department...
another website here says to throw a cooking sheet on the fire if the pot is small enough, it also tells me that if you throw salt AND baking soda on it (salt absorbs the grease and baking soda cuts out the oxygen) it also suggests a rung out tea towel to fit the size of the pot
hope you learned something! I sure have!