Seattle Could Ban Microwave Popcorn

First, Washington State banned indoor public smoking. Now, the City of Seattle may ban employees from making microwave popcorn. No kidding. A memo from the Fleets and Facilities Department addressed to "Employees at Civic Center Buildings" says there has been several evacuations in recent years due smoke alarms being tripped by burning popcorn. The memo states that in the past three years, there have been eight evacuations at the Justice Center, which includes jail cells and courtrooms, because of burnt popcorn. That's more than 400 people evacuated each time.There have also been several evacuations at City Hall and Seattle Municipal Tower because of the overcooked treat. The memo states that if the problem continues, there will be a microwave popcorn ban in downtown City buildings. Each evacuation shuts down the buildings for 30 – 40 minutes. The memo also gives employees tips on how to prevent the problem, such as following the package instructions and staying by the microwave to know when the popcorn is done.