Everything you need to know about microwave popcorn

Put your nose to the screen. You can smell the scorched popcorn. (Blondes only)DO NOT leave the room while popping a bag of microwave popcorn. Just a slight amount or extra time can scorch popcorn. Heat buildup can cause a fire. Set the timer according to the package instructions, using the shortest recommended time. Stop heating and remove the bag of popped corn from the microwave oven when the popping slows down.Inspect the bag of popcorn prior to popping, making sure it has no holes, tears or broken seals. If steam escapes too soon, the bag will not inflate properly, and the popcorn will scorch.If you do accidentally scorh a bag of popcorn do not throw it in the trash can while it is still smoking. Duh!Burnt popcorn sparks house fire (07-28-05) A house fire Wednesday night in west Lawrence caused about $45,000 in damage.Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical responded to the fire at 2010 Riviera Court just after 9 p.m.Douglas County Fire Marshal Rich Barr said it appeared that a bucket of burned microwave popcorn caused the fire. The bucket was in a trash can, which caught fire.