Catching the oven on fire is not a common phenomenon in every kitchen. But yet people have concerns and we know it. Why? Because there are people like me who forget to turn off their oven after cooking and then worry about the oven catching on fire. Sometimes you may have to broil or grill something that will take a long time. In that case, you may get anxious to know how long your oven can stay on before catching fire.
Therefore we decided to give a proper answer to this question. But before we answer, you must know if an oven can catch on fire at all.
Can An Oven Catch On Fire?
The answer is YES. Your oven may catch on fire under certain circumstances. But it’s not something that will occur more often. Therefore you have nothing to worry about.
Modern ovens, stoves, and ranges are designed to ensure ultimate safety for its user. Manufacturers always give a closer look at the safety concerns and make sure the machine is safe to use. Then why would my oven catch on fire?
In terms of the oven, there are three elements that are responsible for a fire; heating elements, fuels that build up due to not cleaning the inside of the oven properly, and oxygen. If you keep your oven door wide open for a long time while the oven is on, it will likely damage the heating elements and eventually lead to fire hazards. Likewise, if there is something inside of the oven and you leave the oven on, heavy smoke may build up after a few hours and when you open the door oxygen ignites the fire.
Ovens are designed to tackle high heat. So overheating or temperature rise does not cause the oven to catch on fire. It’s the poor cleaning habit that causes the fire. The leftover fat from your food or built-up grease can lead to destructive fire damage.
But how long can your oven stay on before catching on fire?
How Long Can My Oven Stay On Before Catching On Fire?
Simply put, you can leave your oven on as long as you want if you are cooking your meals. But generally, the oven is prone to catch on fire if you leave it on for more than 12 hours. This is applicable only when there is nothing flammable near your oven, nothing inside it, and lastly, the door must be closed. But if you have a reliable oven with standard functional quality, you don’t need to worry about catching fire.
If you want to cook anything at a low temperature for a long time, don’t bother. Low temperature or slow cooking does not cause any fire or destruction of any sort if the oven door is closed.
Most modern ovens these days, have a built-in auto-shutdown mode which enables the oven itself to turn off after a preset time. If your oven does have the Auto-Shut Down setting, that’s the cherry on the cake.
What Will Happen If I Leave My Oven On While the Door is Open?
When you leave your oven door wide open while the oven is one, it’s a threat of catching fire due to the uneven temperature changes. Sometimes it may damage the temperature control knob.
On the other hand, if you are using a gas oven, it will emit carbon monoxide when the oven is on. And it doesn’t take a long time to take the carbon monoxide to a poisonous level if the door is open. Inhaling the poisonous carbon can cause serious health hazards in no time.
Is It Safe To Leave My Oven On Overnight?
Leaving an electric oven on overnight with the door closed is not an issue. But if you have a gas oven and you leave it on, then it’s a problem. Gas oven eliminates carbon monoxide which takes just a few hours to get to the poisonous level which can have an adverse effect when you accidentally inhale the gas. If the door is closed, the built-up gas will create heavy smoke and eventually ignite the gas.
So, you are not recommended to leave your gas oven on overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why May My Oven Catch On Fire?
There are quite a few reasons that can be accused of an oven catching on fire. Some of the prime reasons are as follows.
- Sometimes if your cooking goes unattended, it may cause a fire. Every oven these days has a cooking timer to avoid long cooking times and the threat of being unattended. That’s why make sure to be present while you are cooking.
- Keeping your oven door wide open for long when the oven is on.
- Improper cleaning habits that accumulate leftovers and dust.
- Leaving the oven on while there is something inside of the oven.
What Should I Do When The Oven Catches On Fire?
When you see smoke or fire inside of your oven, don’t rush over to open the door. Because if you do, you will bask in the fire. So the first thing you do is turn off the oven. Then let the fire be calm for a bit. When it does, slightly open the door and cover the whole machine with a wet cloth so that the fire doesn’t spread anywhere else in the kitchen. Lastly, using a mixture of water and baking soda, clean up the burnt area.
How Long Can I Leave Your Food Into The Oven?
Keeping the food inside the oven may dry it out and become almost tasteless. That’s why it’s not recommended to leave your food inside the oven after you finish cooking. But if you want, you can keep the dish in the warmer for 2-3 hours.
How Can I Clean The Oven After An Oven Fire?
Make a paste of baking soda and apply it to a hard burnt place inside of the oven. Use a scrubber, to clean the burnt place and all over the oven. After whipping off the baking soda with the scrubber, apply vinegar and clean the inside wall and surface of the oven with a clean towel.
Conclusion
Oven catching on fire is not something we get to see on a daily basis. Every modern oven comes with necessary safety precautions to avoid such destruction by the oven. Therefore you don’t need to be anxious about your oven being caught on fire.
And the safe bottom line is to say that an oven can stay almost 12 hours before it catches on fire. And the chances of catching on fire decrease if there is nothing inside of the oven and the oven door is closed.
