Well, I had a rather dramatic time making dinner tonight, even more so than the first (and last) time I tried to light my oven.

I had the cast iron pan on the stove and it was hot seeing as I was searing red peppers (since I don’t have an oven I trust).

Next thing I knew, there was a boom and the counter and my left forearm were on fire. The BBQ lighter I use to light the burner, resting a full foot away from the stove, had exploded!!!

I cook like this at home all the time — propane stove, BBQ lighter a foot (and even less) from the stove, extremely hot cast iron pan, etc., so I can’t figure out what went wrong tonight. The only thing I can imagine at this point is that the counters here are made of tile and get hotter than my laminate counter top at home.

I actually have no idea how I put the fire out. I think I might have used a dishcloth. There’s absolutely no evidence that anything got cooked, except for the lighter casing being melted.

I am absolutely fine. I lost all the hair on the left forearm and it feels like I got a mild sunburn on it, but that’s it. I’m not even anywhere near close to a first degree burn. I am just annoyed that I don’t have a way to light the stove tomorrow morning to heat water for coffee!