https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:05:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2121363 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 13:35:27 +0000 kes18 2121363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Frozen sweet potato fries spark for me </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2121110 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:14:08 +0000 MapleMoose 2121110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just heated up some diced breakfast sausage for LO this morning in the microwave and it sparked but no flame. Not the first time it's happened. It's not a Whirlpool microwave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120897 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 08:06:29 +0000 blackbird 2120897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've never had anything light on fire before! I'd probably just buy a new microwave! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120878 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 07:55:49 +0000 Mae 2120878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is blowing me away. Somehow I've made it through 30 years of life, at least 20+ of those operating microwaves all by myself.... and I'd never seen a spark before! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120872 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 07:53:33 +0000 JennyG 2120872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: Happens all the time when heating up green beans for LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120800 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 06:52:38 +0000 Trufflehunter 2120800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I often get a spark out of frozen raspberries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120796 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 06:44:03 +0000 My Only Sunshine 2120796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happens in our microwave too if we heat up 'kid sized' portions of small foods. The two things it happens with the most are black beans and peas. I'll have to tell my husband it's not just us :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120755 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 01:01:08 +0000 SleepyMonkey 2120755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happened to me with frozen green beans! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120754 Wed, 25 Mar 2015 01:00:25 +0000 StbHisMrs 2120754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This only happened when I tried to pop brown bag popcorn, ruined our microwave. Other than no crazy sparks or fires.</p> <p>The only kitchen appliance fire is when we use self-clean, it only happened once and Holy Scary! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120728 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 22:59:45 +0000 PurplePeony 2120728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find sweet potato chunks or sticks are the worst! They always spark in my microwave when I try to reheat them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120420 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 17:36:44 +0000 Mama Bird 2120420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Huh, that's weird. And scary. DH had this happen once with a baked pepper (the stem caught fire). Now that I think of it, it must have been because it was a small piece sticking up by itself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120395 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 17:15:34 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 2120395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This has definitely happened to me when I heat small amounts of relatively dry food. Pretty weird, but I don't think there's anything wrong with the microwave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120368 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:38:56 +0000 NorthStar 2120368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MUI831: yep, chicken nuggets too. We built our house just over a year ago, so ours is new :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120366 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:37:54 +0000 Mommy Finger 2120366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happens to me too. I now heat up any frozen veggies in a bowl with water. And if I'm heating up things like sausage or chicken nuggets, they can't touch each other or they'll spark or burn a bit. I want to get a new microwave but it hasn't been our top priority </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120363 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:32:10 +0000 NorthStar 2120363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours too! When my daughter would eat hot dogs and we cut them in pieces (or reheated ones from the night before), they would spark. Same goes for green beans and carrots...so odd. and I think that we have a whirlpool too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120353 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:27:02 +0000 Ash 2120353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a whirlpool that does this too! Especially with peas! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120333 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:13:03 +0000 HabesBabe 2120333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happens to me, too, when I nuke small pieces of food (like, mac and cheese, cut up sausage, or peas)-- when I go chicken apple sausage for the kids, I nuke it whole and cut it up afterwards.</p> <p>My mac and cheese always has a couple of black burned spots that I pop into my mouth and give the kids the "flame-free" ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120322 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:06:45 +0000 msplatypus 2120322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was a kid we used to do this with diced onion and it would spark a little. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120320 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:06:27 +0000 sorrycharlie 2120320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Carrots always do this to me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120313 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 16:02:57 +0000 lavender 2120313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happens to me when I put (drained) canned great beans in the microwave. Always catches a spark. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120305 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:56:57 +0000 Torchwood 2120305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It has something to do with the wavelength of the microwaves versus the size of the food. I don't know the science, but it *is* something that happens. It's also why beans and small pieces of potatoes are more likely to explode in there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120261 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:29:36 +0000 tysonja 2120261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p><a href="http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/information-for-consumers/fact-sheets/specific-products-and-risks/fruits-and-vegetables/sparks-when-cooking/eng/1332278105073/1332278331477" rel="nofollow">http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/information-for-consumers/fact-sheets/specific-products-and-risks/fruits-and-vegetables/sparks-when-cooking/eng/1332278105073/1332278331477</a></p> <p>anyway, not sure if it relates completely, but i'm so curious about this, now! :) thanks for sharing your experience! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120255 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:27:34 +0000 tysonja 2120255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>so interesting! just did a quick google and came across similar situations from other people -- weird! <a href="http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/04/07/frozen-vegetables-spark-in-the-microwave.htm" rel="nofollow">http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/04/07/frozen-vegetables-spark-in-the-microwave.htm</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120233 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:13:51 +0000 Mae 2120233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: He swears that there is nothing wrong with the microwave! And it actually is not under warranty (although they sent a tech to check it out for free because the word "fire" scares them) so we'd have to pay for any repair anyways. Which I would do except he says there is nothing to repair. He also assured me that things sparking in the microwave is not that big of a deal and it isn't like it is going to explode or anything. I think from here on out I'm going to follow all instructions and watch things in there closely!</p> <p>@yoursilverlining: right..?! seriously never occurred to me this would be an issue. He said something about how microwaves work by heating water but they don't recognize ice as water and something about the molecules sparking? I didn't really follow beyond--- put them in a bowl with water and cover. although then he told me to cover with a paper towel and I was like UMMM I am not putting PAPER on top of something that may spark because that will cause more fire. lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120229 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:09:51 +0000 KT326 2120229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've done the same thing with peas in my microwave. I thought I put a little bit of water in the bowl but I didn't and I saw the pop and flame. I've had something else flame up in there as well but I am blanking on what it was. I never did anything about it. I just make sure I always follow the directions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120217 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:07:12 +0000 yoursilverlining 2120217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>WTF - I always microwave frozen peas the same way you do ("dry" on a plate), and they definitely never catch fire! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120212 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:05:58 +0000 macintosh 2120212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That does NOT seem normal to me! Unless there is some small amount of foil packaging stuck to something, there shouldn't be fire or sparks in your microwave. I'd press them to replace it if it's under warranty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-apparently-things-lighting-on-fire-in-your-microwave-is-normal#post-2120209 Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:03:09 +0000 Mae 2120209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So the last few weeks, I've had 3 things spark/start fires in my microwave. Not big fires, just sort of a pop of flame and then done. The first two times I was cooking diced chicken sausage for LO's lunch (cooked for like 15-20 seconds). The third time I was cooking frozen peas for 25 seconds (I just put a handful on a plate). </p> <p>I called whirlpool because this seemed ODD to me. So I just had a tech out and he couldn't replicate the issue and he couldn't find anything wrong with our microwave. He said it COULD have been because it wasn't clean enough, even though it is basically spotless and there is only some food splatter stuck in a few holes of the top vent (like we keep it clean but don't poke out the holes I guess...?). So I asked if I could microwave some peas and show him and he said yes. And it did it again. About 10 seconds in, flame. </p> <p>So he calls his supervisor because wtf. And then is told to look at the instructions on the peas. The instructions say to put them in a bowl with water and cover to microwave. I'd just put them "dry" (frozen) on the plate. Apparently that is reason enough to cause fire?! Kind of shocking to me. He had no excuse/reasoning for why the chicken sausage would cause fire because the instructions on that just say to put on a plate and microwave 30 seconds. He said maybe because I diced it rather than cooked it whole? </p> <p>Regardless he swears there is nothing wrong with our microwave. The whole thing just seems strange to me because I never really thought things could/would start a fire in the microwave unless there was metal or you cooked them way, way too long. I thought the worst that would happen if you ignored direction was things would make a mess or just dry out/not taste good. </p> <p>So I guess this is one part PSA (a) follow instructions and b) watch things in the microwave-- don't just walk away). And one part WTF because seriously...? I still feel like peas should not catch on fire in 20 seconds in the microwave. </p>