Photo: jimray [Flickr]
Apparently some people store their valuables inside the oven for safekeeping when they're away. The downside of this method is that sometimes they forgot all about 'em ...
Here's the story from Flickr user jimray:
My buddy Kidd left his laptop in his oven while away - you know, in case of break-in or fire, it'd be safe. We're all over after grabbing him from the airport, ready to bake some cookies. Preheat the oven to 375, start mixing the ingredients, about ten minutes later, we notice a pretty awful smell. Open the oven door and, surreally enough, there's a laptop and a backup harddrive staring me in the face.
Link - Thanks Darren! See also When Bad Things Happen to Good Computers, a gallery of computer disasters at PutPlace Blog
Now I just store clean baking pans and similar in the oven. Occasionally I have to remove a bunch of 350F glass casseroles, but no more melted plastic.
I think I almost died when I preheated the oven to bake a cake that night, and soon started hearing a crackling sound and smelled a strange smell. Luckily, it was a crappy stove, and only got into the low 100s before I caught the problem.
blaisepascal, I have the same practice of putting my banking dishes in the oven, but that just seems common sense, and anything heating won't explode!
Not if the fire starts in the oven.