I have lived in this apartment complex for 2 months. Tonight while I was pre-heating the oven (425 degrees), it became very smoky and then flames were coming from the oven door. When I saw the smoke, I turned the oven off. When the flames started I called 911. Long story short, the fire was put out and there is only a small amount of damage to the kitchen.

There was nothing IN the oven, however, being unfamiliar with gas ovens, I was using the bottom drawer for storage (it's what I've always done in past homes). There were cookie sheets, muffin tins, a rubber mat for spreading pie dough, and... a wooden pizza peel. I never would have though twice about putting these things in the drawer under the oven, since that's what I've always done... but considering that it's a pile of charcoal now, it was definitely the cause of the flames.

After some online research I've learned that in electric ovens, you can put almost whatever you want down there. One person even states that she stores awkward sized boxes of saran wrap, ziploc bags, paper products and other obvious combustibles down there. BUT in gas ovens, it's a BROILER! I never knew. So I went hunting for a sticker, an owners manual, SOMETHING that would alert me to the fact that the only thing that drawer is to be used for is BROILING, not storage. Nothing.

While standing around outside with other tenants, we were all discussing the "under the oven drawer". NO ONE knew it was a broiler. A few people admitted to their ovens smoking, or getting burned when reaching in the "drawer" for a pan while the oven was on. Their pan's rubber handles have also melted. They are ALL using it for storage.

My question is, before I call the property manager tomorrow morning, was the fire my fault? Yes, the wooden pizza peel burned to dust and, yes, I put it there. But does the fact that I knew nothing about the bottom drawer being a broiler mean anything? I'm not an ignorant person, I'm well educated, but I never thought twice about my storage habits causing a fire... There is nothing in the lease, no sticker, and no owner's manual to warn me otherwise. I'm worried about the liability factor and the cost associated with it! Tips please!

You had that stuff in the bottom so you are liable ,its what caused the fire.. Ignorance of anything will get you no where.I think the best thing you can do is say I'm sorry and I will pay for any damages.

Very good question.
I haven't seen a broiler UNDER an oven in about 40 years. I would ask the town building inspector if they are even code. Maybe they just went out of style.
If there is no code violation, I would print out copies of a statement about not knowing, and ask others in the building to sign it (even though their own individual ones might be better, this isn't a murder case).

It could be argued that a tenant using a gas appliance (or any appliance) is expected to examine it's usage and a landlord isn't expected to label every little thing that might happen. In court, this could go either way. If it's not code, it's a no brainer.

This doesn't mean that the LL will renew your lease, or not raise the rent when he can. Negotiating is often in the best interest of a tenant.

I'm not finding any code violation anywhere, and gas broilers under ovens are still in production (if a lot less common), sorry.

I would have to hold you at fault on that one and agree with artlady. DrTom4444