stop, drop and roll

{Not my actual kitchen}

Remember when the fire trucks pulled up to your school, and you had to listen to boring lectures for Fire Prevention Week? Well, maybe I should have paid closer attention.

Last night I'm making sweet and sour chicken like any good wife would, and suddenly my pan of oil bursts into flames. Like two-feet high, burn your face off flames.

Me: UHHHHHH.....................
Shea: Haha, is it supposed to do that?
Me: No! This is not a fancy restaurant! Help me!

So Shea tries to be a good husband. And grabs the pan and yells at me to turn the water on. As I am doing it, I am starting to have flashbacks to fire prevention week. Water feels wrong for this situation. But instead all I can remember is covering my ears as they tested out the sirens. And those cute dalmatians.

I turn on the water against my own instincts while simultaneously saying "I am not sure..." BAM! Water hits the pan, and now there are flames high enough to reach our cabinets.

Me: "Ahhhhh! I knew water was bad. We don't even have a fire extinguisher! Is there one in the building? How do we not know this stuff?!"

We got it out by hitting two pans together. And then frantically holding the smoking pan out the window - a show for the neighbors I'm sure. Crisis averted. Though, we are a bit concerned that not once during this fiasco did our fire alarm go off.

I would be amiss if I did not tell you what to do when your canola oil catches on fire. So here it goes.

How to put out a grease fire:
1. Place a metal lid over the flame.
2. Dump an entire box of baking soda on the flames.
3. Spray a dry chemical fire extinguisher at base of flames.
4. Start collecting your family heirlooms and call 911.







This weekend my to do list will include: 1.) Find apartment fire extinguisher, 2.) Buy small extinguisher for under the sink, 3.) Put baking soda in easily accessible location.