We are still under Covid19-lockdown here, so I'm stuck with desktop-reviews for court purposes.

One such query involved a fire purportedly started by a cooking-oil pot on a two-plate stove;
my client (a law firm representing the opposing party) hoping to disprove the hypothesis.
"I'm sorry to tell you Sir" (I replied) "but everybody knows these things cause fires";
but (with nothing better to do), I dutifully did some tests (on SWAMBO's insistence,in the bottom of the garden;
our insurers take a dim view of FI's settling their own kitchen's alight with pots of oil purposes left on high...).


To simulate the case in question, I bought a 2000W spiral-hob two-plate stove with a 6"- and 8"-diameter Aluminium-pots;
I ran tests with 1cm-, 2cm- and 5cm-deep quantities of sunflower oil.
Best oil temperatures I could generate (1000W per hob; but even on High, their thermostats kick in & -out)
was about 460F for the 8"-pot, and 630F for the 6"-pot (which generated smoke),
but no fire!!!
This all suits my client fine, but does not sooth my conscience.

Might it be different with another type of oil (like canola-; the actual oil potentially involved in the fire is unknown)?

Also, test circumstances are not ideal/repeatable.
Our Covid19-lockdown restrictions mean I'm stuck at home, and all our hardware stores are closed;
otherwise I'd have constructed a makeshift testbed & -shelter out of drywall etc.
My home town is known as The Windy City, and I generally have to wait days between experiments.
Might be that the light breeze cools the pot or smoke plume just that 10-, 20- degrees to prevent auto-ignition.

Any advice?