“How am I even alive?”: EMT explains why throwing burned food into the garbage can is a huge fire risk

Most people have tossed a scorched piece of food in the trash without giving it a second thought.

Former EMT: never toss hot, burned food into the trash

TikTok creator Ali (@themommyconfessionsss) posted a video that’s already been viewed more than 2.4 million times, using a recent viral story to explain why this mistake is dangerous.

She tells the story of @kyndallzachary heating up a brownie: “Instead of putting it in the microwave for 20 seconds, she put it in the microwave for two minutes. The brownie started smoking. It burnt, so she wasn’t gonna eat it—so she threw it in the trash. After throwing it in the trash, it started a fire.”

Many viewers in the comments admitted they didn’t realize that charred food—like burnt toast or brownies—should never go directly into a garbage can.

Ali then introduces herself: “Hi, I’m Ali. I was an EMT at a fire department for over 10 years. And let’s talk about it.”

What to do if food burns in the microwave

Her first piece of advice: shut the microwave door to contain the smoke and make sure the appliance is off. If the smoke clears, you’re safe. If not, she says, call the fire department.

But even once things are under control, Ali stresses not to put the burned food straight into the trash. Instead, let it cool in a safe spot, like the sink or stovetop.

“If you can safely do so, you can run water over whatever’s smoking,” she explains. That simple step cools the food and eliminates lingering embers.

@themommyconfessionsss ♬ sonido original – Yang

She adds that fire doesn’t need visible flames to spread. “Inside the black, charred, burnt parts of the food, there can actually be little embers—like a campfire,” Ali says.

Toss that into a garbage bag full of paper, plastic, or food waste, and it can ignite.

Her rule of thumb: no item should go in the trash while still smoking. Instead, douse it with cold water, check that no smoke remains, and if you do throw it out, set a timer to check on it after 10–20 minutes.

“Fire is no joke, especially in your home with your loved ones,” she concludes.

One person wrote, “Don’t put water on grease fires, please kiddos.” Another joked, “How am I even still alive atp.”

Someone else said, “This is why I douse used matches in water,” while another reminded, “And no batteries in the trash! I don’t know where we’re supposed to put them, but they’re not supposed to be in the trash.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to @themommyconfessionsss via TikTok direct messages.