Many of us have been turning to our trusty wheat bags for warmth over the winter been, and while we still have some cold nights ahead of us going into spring, Lana and The Breakfast Club have found some hidden dangers.
It seems that wheat bags, those cozy companions on cold nights, have an easy potential to cause fires.
Listen to the full chat on The Breakfast Club podcast below.
While Paul confessed to never adding water when reheating his wheat bag, Lana and Bondy are among the apparent few who do.
Paul seemed unfazed by the risks, noting that he had been using the same wheat bag for years without incident. But as Lana discovered it's the nature of the grains inside that are posing the danger. Over time, these grains can dry out, making them susceptible to charring.
There are some pretty shocking statistics shared by Fire and Emergency New Zealand about the truth behind the secret firestarters.
Since 2007, a staggering 172 New Zealanders have been injured by exploding wheat bags. These injuries are not just a result of burns but also the risk of fires starting in our homes.
When heated without water, the grains inside can combust and char, leading to the possibility of a fire if left in the microwave for too long. Additionally, injuries have occurred when people hastily remove wheat bags from the microwave, unaware of the smouldering danger within.
Apparently, most of us are just overlooking those warnings printed on the packaging of our wheat bags. There should be a clear warning on the bag advising users to heat the bag with water in the microwave. But in our cold haste, we must be overlooking the note.
The potential for fires to start within wheat bags gets higher when we consider the cozy setting in which many of us enjoy them—snuggled up under blankets. It's a perfect environment for a fire to grow.
As we approach the end of winter, with a few more cold nights still ahead, maybe we need to be keeping an eye on our sacks of wheat, or maybe just move to hot water bottles… they cant be that bad… can they?
