SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20210517-68A94-2147364084. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Whirlpool WMH32519HB (Whirlpool OTR Microwave 1.9 cu ft. - Black Model WMH32519HB). Incident: I purchased a new Whirlpool over the range microwave and within less than 3.5 months it caught fire. I was warming coffee in a microwave safe mug for 30 seconds when I heard a noise and noticed a faint burning plastic smell. The coffee was warm and the microwave seemed fine so I assumed that it was not a major issue. Later in the day, I decided to use my microwave to cook some vegetables. I turned it on and in less than 30 seconds there was smoke pouring out of the vents - even though the oven cavity and the food was fine. I immediately turned the oven off and pulled out a step stool to look into the vents. Smoke was still coming out and from my view - there was a visible fire on the wires inside the mechanics of the oven. I tried to put it out with water but ultimately used baking soda to douse the flames. I unplugged the oven and tried to examine the area to ensure that the oven had no other visible flames.