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CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- A Castle Pines woman is sounding the alarm about a built-in microwave that she said has a propensity to catch fire.
Emily Henry said it's happened twice at her house.
She and her family moved into their sprawling home about a year ago. She said they'd only been there for a month or two when their microwave "wave guide cover" ignited in flames.
"I thought it was a fluke," she told Denver7, "that it was just a lemon microwave."
Mrs. Henry said they replaced the microwave with an identical model, because she needed one that fit perfectly in the pre-measured base cabinet.
Second Fire
Three weeks ago, there was another fire.
"My 12-year old daughter was home babysitting while I was at the gym," she said. "She used the microwave to heat up a snack."
Ella Henry happened to look at the microwave and noticed flames on the interior right wall.
"She opened the door and the fire stopped," Mrs. Henry said. "It was horrifying. I rushed back and everything was fine, but what if she had walked out of the kitchen before the fire started. It could have caused a house fire. My daughter could have gotten burned."
No Data on Built-In Model
Denver7 reached out to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ask about GE Model PEB7226SF2SS.
The CPSC said there are no recalls for that model, nor any incident reports. Consumer Reports officials also said it has no data on that particular model.
Several consumers have weighed in online about the countertop version of that model.
One wrote: "Caught on fire. GE doesn't care."
Denver7 reached out to General Electric, but has not heard back.
Mrs. Henry said she spoke to a company representative. "They said, 'Oh, that's not uncommon,'" she said. "'Microwaves catch fire all the time,' which is shocking."
"I think it's an item that should be recalled," she said. "I think it has some sort of malfunction or defect."
Mrs. Henry told Denver7 that she purchased a new Frigidaire microwave this morning.
"I have much more confidence in another brand," she said.
