Every evening before going to bed, I followed the same routine without thinking twice. I checked the doors, switched off the lights, and made sure the windows were locked. One night, while scrolling through an article about home safety, I read a simple recommendation that caught my attention: always unplug the toaster after its last use. The explanation was surprisingly convincing. Even when idle, a damaged appliance or hidden electrical fault could become the starting point of a devastating overnight fire. I immediately walked into my kitchen, pulled the plug, and promised myself I would never forget again.

The next evening, I noticed something unusual. The toaster’s power cord was still plugged into the outlet even though I clearly remembered unplugging it the night before. Assuming I had simply forgotten, I reached toward the cord. Before my fingers touched it, I heard a strange crackling sound coming from inside the toaster, followed by a faint orange glow.