According to an Ontario fire marshal, it is vital to avoid using a microwave to sterilize COVID-19 masks. There have been 51 fire fatalities reported in Ontario between January 1 and May 4.
There has been an increase in the cases of fire deaths this year as COVID-19 measures force many individuals to stay home and do more home cooking. The 65% increase is significant over the same time period last year. Around 17 people have died in fires this past March alone.
It remains unclear the number of deaths that occurred in the house and how many were caused by cooking but unattended cooking is the main cause of home fires. Most people are staying home these days and therefore the potential is high for cooking fires and smoking to occur.
People are warned not to use a microwave to sterilize face masks or other personal protective equipment. Microwave ovens are not designed to heat cloth-based materials so there is a risk of the mask overheating and catching fire.
Many disposable masks are built with a metal nose wire or staples holding the straps which can trigger sparks or fire when heated. Heating a face mask in a microwave oven in an attempt to decontaminate it is a potential fire hazard and should not be done. Additionally, heat should not be used to sterilize personal protective equipment including ovens and radiators.
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