KA-BOOM!

We own a stove fueled by propane. The pilot light does not work, so in order to use the stove top elements or the oven, we've got to use matches.

Last night, I lit the oven to cook some taco shells and shortly after I lit it, it went out leaving the propane valve open with no fire to burn it up. I realized quite quickly that it had gone out because it wasn't heating up, so I sniffed to see if there was much gas in the air and didn't smell anything too strong. I lit a match a few steps away from the stove and brought the match slowly down to the oven element. No fire, so I opened the oven valve. It lit and...

KA-BOOM!

It lasted about 1/2 a second and lit up the whole base of the stove. The propane had settled low so I couldn't smell it. I checked my knuckles and eyebrows, all the hair was still intact.

My children's nerves weren't intact though. After I let out a howl of surprise that sounded exactly like my father when he lets out howls of surprise, they began to cry uncontrollably. We consoled them for a few minutes while they cried without knowing what they were crying about.

Then I relit the oven. Mmmmm tacos.