Beech Avenue, Uppermill | 8 Feb 2012
An elderly woman burned her foot, bed and carpet after a microwaveable wheat bag overheated at her home in Uppermill.
Firefighters are asking people to use the items with caution following the incident as part of the advice they are giving out for Cooking Fire Safety Month.
A crew from Mossley Fire Station went to the woman’s home on Beech Avenue the day after the incident when her daughter called GMFRS.
Firefighters discovered that an 85-year-old woman had burned her foot, bedding and carpet after using a wheat bag.
The woman dealt with the small fire herself and threw the bag out of her bed when she realised there was a problem, which is how it burned the carpet.
The heat was such that not only did it burn the carpet but scorched the floorboards underneath as well.
It was reported to the fire service on January 19, after the pensioner was visited by her district nurse and the nurse saw the blister from the burn to her foot.
The wound was treated by the nurse and she did not go to hospital for treatment to the wound.
It was the pensioner’s daughter that reported the incident to GMFRS.
Wheat bags heated in microwave ovens can be used to give relief to aching joints and muscles and stay warm for quite some time – but they must be used with care.
Watch Manager Graham Singleton, based at Mossley Fire Station said: “Had the woman not woken and been able to deal with this fire, we could be talking about a far more serious incident.
“A product that absorbs and stores heat in this way is a potential fire risk. For this reason it is vital to follow manufacturers’ instructions and ensure that wheat bags are in good condition so they pose less of a danger.”
Do…
- Buy wheat bags with clear heating instructions from the manufacturer, and follow them.
- Buy bags which include manufacturers’ contact details if you have a problem.
- Only use as a heat pack for direct application to the body.
- Ensure your microwave turntable is working properly.
- Watch for signs of overuse, such as a smell of burning or charring.
- Leave bags to cool in a safe area and on a noncombustible surface like a kitchen sink.
Don’t….
- Use a wheat bag as a bed-warmer.
- Overheat the bag.
- Reheat the bag until it has completely cooled – which may take up to two hours.
- Leave the microwave oven unattended when heating.
- Put the bag away for storage until it has cooled.
- Use the bag if you see evidence of problems.
