A woman has issued a warning to air fryer owners after her appliance caught fire unexpectedly.
Rebecca Sim was using her one-year-old Tower air fryer to cook bacon when the terrifying incident that 'could have burnt the kitchen down' happened.
The 52-year-old, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, noticed a plastic smell as she was cooking.
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The retired school teacher, who has multiple sclerosis, then saw a flame which quickly escalated into an 'inferno'. Rebecca thought on her feet and quickly unplugged the appliance, before throwing it outside.
She said: "I was really shocked. I bought the air fryer for my daughter Isobel when she was at Liverpool University and she would cook in it and leave it when she was washing her hair.
"Thank God I didn't leave it - it could have burnt the kitchen down."
Rebecca added: "So many people have now got air fryers, and so many of my friends have got one.
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"They all say they often leave it cooking while they go and do something. It is very simple to use and it had been thoroughly cleaned, so I wasn't expecting it."
The mum-of-two explained that she'd put some bacon in the air fryer to cook.
"When it had nearly done I pulled out the tray to check it, it was splattering. As I was checking the tray I noticed a tiny flicker in the bottom part of the fryer. I was concerned as it didn’t look right," she said.
After noticing the flickering and a plastic smell, Rebecca switched the device off, unplugged it and smothered it with a damp tea towel.
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"When I removed the tea towel I saw smoke and the beginnings of what looked like flames in the base of the fryer," she recalled. "I have multiple sclerosis and I am not that fast or strong so with much difficulty I picked it up and threw it out the back door where it turned into an inferno."
Dramatic video footage shows the air fryer on fire outside Rebecca's home.
"It was a really nasty experience that could have been far, far worse without my quick-thinking," she said.
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Tower, the manufacturer of the appliance, launched an investigation into what happened.
At the time, a spokesperson for Tower said: "The consumer involved contacted us on Wednesday (4 January) regarding her experience.
"Whilst we are pleased that Rebecca is OK we are reaching out to her seeking to obtain the air fryer so an investigation can be carried out.
"The safety of our products is of the upmost importance to Tower and a thorough investigation will help us to understand the circumstances."
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A spokesperson for Tower has since told LADbible Group: “The safety of our products and customers remains our highest priority. We are in regular contact with Rebecca and this case is progressing positively. As the case is ongoing, we are unable to make any further comment at this stage.”
Featured Image Credit: MEN MediaTopics: UK News, Food And Drink