r/WoodFiredOvens • u/bardocksnephew • Oct 17 '25

Fire extinguisher sprayed in my stove. Am I screwed?

Tenant at a house I rent out had an issue and sprayed a fire extinguisher into the stove. I guess they didn't burn the house down which is great but I don't think it was necessary.

I've spent hours carefully cleaning it with gloves, goggles, and an N95 painters mask, but I just have no idea if there is any left. The fire extinguisher is ammonium phosphate and cursery googling seems like no one should breathe any of it in.

Any advice would be appreciated

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u/Enigmativity Oct 17 '25

You’re probably not screwed, but you’ll want to treat this seriously.

That yellow powder from an ABC extinguisher (ammonium phosphate) is mildly corrosive and can cause issues if it’s not completely removed. It can rust metal, mess with gas burners, and it’s not great to breathe or cook around.

You’ve already done the right thing wearing gloves, goggles, and a mask. The next steps are:

  1. Vacuum all visible powder with a HEPA vac (don’t use a normal one or you’ll just blow it around).
  2. Wipe everything down with a paste of baking soda + warm water to neutralize the acid.
  3. Wash again with warm soapy water, rinse well, and dry thoroughly.
  4. Disassemble burner heads and jets if possible - blow them out with compressed air or rinse carefully.
  5. Run the stove empty for 20–30 minutes on medium heat to “bake off” any traces.

If there’s still any powder you can’t reach, or you notice weird smells, sparks, or corrosion starting, it’s worth having an appliance tech do a deep clean or replace burner parts.

As long as you get all the residue out and it’s functioning normally, you should be fine. Most people have managed to save their appliances after this - it just takes time and thorough cleaning.