I don’t have a Rowenta travel iron like yours that caught fire. I think I bought my Rowenta DA 82.3 and DE 92.1 back in the 90’s. My daughter and I have used them both extensively. One of them now spits, so it is only used dry.
We are very careful to not use them with power strips, extension cords or timers. They heat up quickly, produce lots of steam, have a nice long swivel cord, and no automatic shut off. We will definitely keep a sharp eye on them from now on. We also keep several fire extinguishers scattered throughout the house.
Thanks for sharing your experience and congratulations on the ribbon. I bet his statement about irons shorting out was about irons in general, not specifically Rowenta irons. I would contact the Product Safety Council as advised.