First responders warning residents following late-night air fryer fire in Whitehall
WHITEHALL, Pa. (KDKA) - The Whitehall Fire Company responded to four fires in the past week, with the latest happening Friday night when an air fryer went up in flames. Now, they want to share some reminders if you like to cook with a small appliance.
Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Pearson said they were called to Skyline Drive by Parkline around 11:45 p.m. for an air fryer that exploded.
He was the first one on the scene.
"Met with the homeowner and his son outside, and they told me that the air fryer had caught on fire, and they weren't even using it at the time," Pearson said.
Within seconds of encountering the flames, he was able to put them out. The air fryer was completely charred, so much so, it was unrecognizable. He saw that it was on the kitchen floor, and wasn't plugged in, though he believes it was at some point.
"It's not too uncommon," Pearson said.
Last January, the same thing happened in Chippewa Township in Beaver County. The appliance was plugged in, not in use, and no one was there. Thankfully, the homeowner came back to the smoke detectors going off and called 911.
"Air fryers use a lot of electricity. Some air fryers can use as much as 15 amps," Pearson said.
To avoid any issues, Pearson urges you to take some steps if you have an air fryer or another small appliance like a microwave or toaster oven. When you're not using them, unplug them.
"Have a dedicated circuit for your air fryer, or if you have your air fryer plugged in, don't have anything else plugged in that outlet with it," Pearson said.
There are some makes and models with recalls, so review the list.
You don't want to be next, as Pearson said, this time it could have been much worse.
"They were lucky. They were home. They called us. We got there really fast, and the issue was mitigated fairly early on," Pearson said.
No matter what, Pearson said to also make sure you check your smoke detectors and batteries as frequently as possible.