Firestarter

So I started at a fire at my house yesterday, although not intentionally...

To set the stage, my son has had a cold this weekend, and I'd asked what he wanted for dinner. He asked for some hot dogs (really, Veggie Dogs, but he doesn't know the difference. Unless he's reading this blog - GULP!). So I put a pot on the stove and started boiling some matter. The most routine thing in the world, and I didn't expect any inherent trouble.

As the water starts simmering to a boil, I start hearing a crackling noise from inside the pot, and before I can really do much, a flame pops up from under the burner. Nothing huge mind you, but it was a bit freaky. So, like an idiot, I remove the pot and then.... pour the boiling hot water on the burner.

Yeah, that surprisingly doesn't work well, as the flame just starts growing, and now it's something I have to worry about. I rush outside (my son, by the way, was safely downstairs and away from any danger, I should point out) and grab a couple of handfuls of snow to dump on the flame. this works (slightly) better. Then a pot full of (now cold) water finishes the damn thing off.

Still not entirely sure what happened there, but nonetheless, it was kind of weird.