Ohio Woman’s Wax-Melting Project Takes Dangerous Turn When Kitchen Catches Fire
A woman in Ohio was melting wax on her stove when the project took a costly turn. Flames spread to her kitchen cabinets, forcing her to leave the house and call for help.
The fire broke out on Thursday, October 22, in New Franklin, a city in Summit County. What started in the kitchen soon brought firefighters from several nearby communities to the home.
The homeowner made it outside safely before firefighters arrived. Crews were able to begin fighting the fire within seven minutes of the initial call, according to the New Franklin Fire Department.
No one was injured, but the unusual cause drew attention. The woman told firefighters she had been melting wax when the cabinets caught fire, leaving investigators to determine exactly what went wrong.
Wax Melting Goes Wrong
According to Cleveland 19 News, the New Franklin Fire Department received a report of a house fire at 9:28 a.m. in the 500 block of Sturgeon Drive.
The homeowner was inside when the fire started. She told firefighters she had been heating wax on the stove, which led to the cabinets catching fire.
The department did not specify what kind of wax she was melting or why she was heating it. The amount of damage to the kitchen was also not included in its initial report.
Firefighters arrived to find that everyone had escaped. With no one trapped inside, crews turned their attention to putting out the kitchen fire.
Looking For Answers
The South Summit Fire Investigative Unit was assigned to investigate the fire. Based on the department’s initial findings, the blaze appeared to have started by accident.
Wax can become dangerous when heated directly on a stove. If its temperature rises too high, it can catch fire. Nearby cabinets and other materials can then become involved.
Using a double boiler is a common way to melt wax more safely because it heats the material indirectly. Even then, the wax must be watched closely to keep it from overheating.
For this homeowner, the morning ended with firefighters inside her kitchen rather than a finished project. The New Franklin Fire Department reported that everyone escaped without injury, while the cause remained under investigation.
