Electric Teapot Melts, Ignites On Downtown Stovetop

The Madison Fire Department was called to an apartment on W. Main St. when flames ignited underneath a teapot on one man's stove.

When firefighters entered the apartment, light smoke had filled the unit. They saw a fire burning under the electric element of one of the stove burners.

“The crew was able to blow out the fire like a birthday candle,” said firefighters on the scene.

The tenant says he recently purchased this electric teapot, which is customarily used with a warming plate provided by the manufacturer that heats the water inside. He decided to place the teapot directly on a stovetop burner rather than the heat plate. This caused the plastic on the bottom of the pot to melt and catch fire.

The fire hadn’t extended beyond its point of origin, and the stove was undamaged. Firefighters ventilated the apartment and reset the smoke alarms before leaving the building.