Teen credited for saving siblings after air fryer caught fire in Harford County home

A 14-year-old girl is being credited for getting her siblings out of harm's way after an air fryer caught fire Tuesday afternoon in a Harford County townhome.

Fire investigators said three children -- ages 4, 10, and 14 - were home alone and were cooking French fries in an air fryer when the 14-year-old smelled smoke, and then saw the air fryer on fire.

She helped her younger brother and sister out of the Edgewood townhome and told a neighbor, who called 911, according to fire officials.

Investigators said the 14-year-old remained calm, got her siblings out, and told an adult.

Harford County deputies arrived first and closed the front door, which prevented further damage, according to investigators.

Firefighters contained the bulk of the fire to the kitchen, with significant heat, soot, and smoke damage throughout the remainder of the home. 

Five family members from the home were displaced and assisted by Harford County Disaster Assistance. 

It took 15 minutes for firefighters to contain the fire. The estimated damage was $75,000 to the structure and the contents inside. 

How do you prevent air fryer fires?

If you own an air fryer, maintenance is important to prevent fires.

According to CNET, constant cleaning of the air fryer basket after each use and cleaning the heating coils monthly are key to preventing grease fires.

The Food Safety and Inspection Services says to never use water to put out a grease fire. Instead, use a kitchen extinguisher or cover the fryer with a metal lid and call 911.

Also, don't overcrowd the air fryer basket or leave the air fryer unattended.

Air fryer recalls

In February 2023, popular kitchen appliances brand Cosori recalled two million air fryers after receiving 205 reports of the air fryers catching fire, burning, melting, overheating, and smoking, which resulted in injuries, including superficial burn injuries as well as property damage. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urged consumers to immediately stop using the products, which have a wire connection that is prone to overheating, raising concerns that the fryers could catch fire and burn or otherwise injure consumers. 

"After a thorough investigation, we determined that in extremely rare circumstances, the closed-end crimp connectors within the recalled air fryers — which are responsible for establishing electrical connections between certain wires — can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards," Cosori said in a statement on its website.