# Flames Just Started Shooting Out of the Back of My Microwave **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291 "2017-02-08T01:13:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/1 "2017-02-08T01:13:28Z")
Heating up some frozen dog food and it started making a deep menacing sound and, pow, flames are shooting out the back. :eek: Good thing I was standing right there to shut it off and unplug it. Now I have to buy a microwave. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/2 "2017-02-08T02:02:47Z")
I would concur that flames shooting out of the back of your microwave is not a good sign. Seriously, what could have caused that? I presume that the microwaves themselves didn’t set anything on fire, so some part of the assembly must have malfunctioned (not that I would have any idea what part). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/3 "2017-02-08T02:30:20Z")
Most kitchen appliances seem to be one broken part away from flaming, spinning-metal, or watery destruction. Let’s not even talk about coffee roasters. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/4 "2017-02-08T02:36:25Z")
There’s nothing wrong, you just found the Turbo-Broil setting. A few years ago, I woke from a nap to a sharp pain in the middle of my chest. On opening my eyes, I was treated to the sight of a thin plume of smoke rising from the electric blanket. Burned through the blanket, burned through the shirt, burned through the hair and was just starting on my skin. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/5 "2017-02-08T04:01:48Z")
Yeah, I’m pretty sure that flames aren’t the intended cooking method when using a microwave. :eek: [Previous thread about a flaming appliance](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=633694) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/6 "2017-02-08T04:18:20Z")
Electricity and microwaves are still serious things when they aren’t carefully controlled but that can go wrong very quickly. I have never had a microwave spontaneously combust but I have put metal items in them by mistake that caused quite the fireworks show. When I was young, the electrical transformer close to my house was hit by lightning and caused the TV that we were sitting in front of at the time to self-destruct in a shower of sparks along with almost every other appliance in the house. That was pretty Metal but cost a lot of money to replace everything. Luckily, decent microwaves are pretty cheap these days. I feel for you but you can get a better one that won’t even have culinary carnage splattered on the interior. RIP microwave - it was a good run until you turned into flamethrower. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/7 "2017-02-08T05:40:40Z")
…didn’t GE have a recall on flame throwing microwaves? Although I don’t know if it was panel shootin’, or back end firing. Either way ‘GE’ stands for ‘great entertainment.’ ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/8 "2017-02-08T05:44:43Z")
Greatly Exothermic? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flames-just-started-shooting-out-of-the-back-of-my-microwave/779291/9 "2017-02-08T05:50:31Z")
Get Extinguisher!