Practice fire safety when using a kitchen toaster.

Many years ago one of my best friends had a house fire caused by a toaster. Growing up, she was always advocating to peers to keep toasters unplugged. Out of respect; I did. It's something that stayed with me even as I raised my own children. I found myself constantly behind my spouse and children unplugging the chord. I can't even begin to tell you how many nights I walked back to the kitchen just to double check.

Earlier today I'm making toast. I was busy mopping the kitchen floor when I heard it pop up. I thought I would finish first when I smelled something burning. I walk out and can't believe my eyes. My 4 slice toastmaster is still glowing hot and the levers are both up. I decided to watch it for several minutes to see if it would shut off.

After maybe 5 minutes I did in fact unplug the toaster. It did not shut off. It appeared to glow even brighter. I have no doubt this toaster would have eventually ignited had I not unplugged it.

A fire safety tip: always unplug toasters when not in use. One never knows.