SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20210926-F4943-2147360394. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Whirlpool WFE540H0ES0 (Whirlpool Convection range, oven. With "AquaLift" cleaning. Less than three years old. Model WFE540H0ES0). Incident: Turned my 3-year-old Whirlpool convection oven on to 350 degrees to preheat while preparing cake batter. This range has a "hidden" bottom heating element underneath the bottom surface of the oven. The oven heated to the set temperature. Approximately 3 minutes after placing the glass cake pan into the oven, I heard a snapping, popping sound. Fortunately, I was standing next to the oven to hear it. When I opened the oven door, I could see bright orange flames and hear sparks underneath the bottom of the oven. I turned the oven off and the snapping stopped. I pulled the range away from the wall and unplugged it. Nothing had dripped into the space under the floor of the oven. I removed the back panel and all the wiring at the cable terminal was intact and tight. The short circuit must be coming from the wiring or electrical board components inside the oven housing. Had I not been standing next to the oven to hear the problem as soon as it occurred and been there to turn it off, I fear it would have caused a major house fire. We are supposed to be able to "program" bake times and walk away from items while they are baking. I don't know that I will feel secure again leaving the kitchen while something is baking. I will not buy another oven where the heating element is NOT within the main oven area.