Danger, don't do this.

[Laurentius]

My oven just cleared, there's a roaring fire. So to test out my new insulated oven door and my new 1000 degree thermometer, I closed the door and it reaches 800 degrees and climbing in less than a minute, so satisfied I take the door off and out jumps a 6 feet flame, wow. Children don't do this at home.

[Tman1]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

Reminds me of that movie... heck if I can think of the name though. Any singed arm hairs?

[Laurentius]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

No, it came out face level, but no damage done, just frightful.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

Yes, you do not want to door it with an active fire. Carbon monoxide is flammable, and you can make a flash-fire.

[RTflorida]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

BACKDRAFT!!!
Great movie for all of us pyros.

RT

[Les]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

I take the door off and out jumps a 6 feet flame, wow.

Reminds me of the time I had a party and spit a mouth full of Everclear into the oven - GREAT ball of fire. (I did get the idea from one of our first builders) Wife was screaming at me, one guest thought I was on fire, and another I think was running for a hose (or his life).

[Lburou]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

My oven just cleared, there's a roaring fire. So to test my my new insulated door with my new 1000 degree thermometer, I closed the door and it reaches 800 degrees and climbing in less than a minutes, so satisfied I take the door off and out jumps a 6 feet flame, wow. Children don't do this at home.

I'll file your experience away and try to never put a door on a raging fire....Whew! I had a similar thing happen in my wood stove insert yesterday with a cerial box bursting into flame when I put it in there with the door open -big flame only 6 inches outside firebox. Fire is an unpredictable thing until we get higher on the learning curve. Thanks for the heads up L.

[C5dad]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

TS nailed the Carbon Monoxide right on the head. A rapidly expanding flammable gas an ignition source and the fact that energy goes from high to low (hot to cold) and WHOOF - you gots yourself a fireball! Did your eyebrows survive is my question?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

I wanna know if Les' eyebrows survived... LOL!!!

[RTflorida]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

Les is the man...a drinker of gasoline. Never had the mouth or stomach for Everclear

RT

[Les]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

RT - its a different product from what they had back in the day - its only 151 proof. There must have been some litigation because there are a ton of disclaimers on the bottle. Like keep away from fire, contents may explode, etc.
I was expecting the result so not one hair got burned. I tried to find the video Robert posted but no luck - do you remember watching it? Funny as hell.

[RTflorida]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

Les,
the 190 is what I remember from my youth and was banned in my native OH 20+ yrs ago. You can't even get the 151 there now. FL still allows the 151 as well as a few other states from what I understand. My first experience was in 9th grade, I watched a guy do the flamethrower act with a bottle he smuggled into an Alice Cooper concert, he coated the mensroom wall with flames. Being young, stupid, and impressionable, I was amazed.

RT

[C5dad]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

Ohhh, my gut (and throat) hurts just thinking about the Bacardi/Everclear drinking days. Though flamethrowing was always interesting spitting the stuff out. I once worked for a national cosmetics firm who had 150 proof alcohol for use in perfume/aftershave. After a few incidents of the inventory being off (the ATF does not like that) and rumors of a weekend party in the plant, they decided to switch over to the stuff with an additive which would cause the drinker to vomit. Plant management sent the word out about the switch. Needless to say, one idiot did not believe it, consumed his daily ration and made a hug mess out on the floor. Thank goodness it was near the fragrance bottling section!

[Millstone Man]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

What you experienced was a classic backdraft (and yes a great movie). Smothered, smoldering fire which when you opened the door provided the much needed oxygen part of the fire triangle with explosive result. A backdraft is different from a flashover (rapid ignition of fire gasses - mainly carbon monoxide). A flashover occurs when you have an enclosed space full of unburned gasses with plenty of oxygen and heat and they reach their ignition temperature and ignite all at once.

Couldn't help myself on this one since I teach Fire Science.

[fxpose]

Re: Danger, don't do this.

I have a related question: How do you quickly and safely extinguish a roaring fire without creating a lot of smoke?