North Dakota: Unplug This Appliance Or Your Home Could Be Toast

You should always unplug this appliance when not in use.

A Glyndon, Minnesota family found out the hard way after a home fire destroyed many of their personal belongings and kitchen.  Glyndon is located just east of Moorhead, Minnesota.

This story happened back in June of 21 but is a good reminder even today.

According to an article on Valley News Live, a mother was playing outside with her two young children, when she heard the faint sounds of her fire alarms going off inside the house.

All of the kids were outside, but her pets were still inside.  Thankfully, she was able to get the two dogs out safely before the fire department and police arrived.  The fire was contained to mostly the kitchen, but the smoke from the fire ruined everything in the house.  The family will need "new" just about everything.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the likely suspect is the toaster. 

Yep, the toaster.  According to Cnet, a toaster can catch fire for no reason when left plugged in.  It is even a good idea to unplug a brand-new toaster when not in use.  Even the instructions on most new toasters tell you to do just that.

This practice may sound excessive, but it could save your home someday.  Toasters generate a lot of heat and even though it's very rare, a malfunction could cause the heating elements to turn on while plugged in (Even when the handle is not pressed down).

If you're not aware, you could accidentally set something flammable up against the toaster like a paper towel or rag.  This could have your life going up in smoke.  Sounds like good practice to me going forward.