ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Quartz Halogen Ignition

First off I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and would also like to share the following pictures of what I saw Late Saturday night upon returning home.
Sorry for the poor quality but the attached pictures are of whats left of a neighbours wooden garden shed, used for storage of everything ranging from computer equipment, old LP records, photos and the like. Apparently what had happened is the neighbour hung a portable quartz halogen worklight off the ceiling and plugged it into an extension cord that also served some jerry-rigged lights in the yard... Apparently the neighbour forgot to turn off (unplug) the light in the shed, and had turned on (plugged in) the lights for the yard and left them on, all the time the quartz fixture must have been near some combustables and well, you see the result. Flames were seen 20-25 feet above the house, and the heat was so intense it cracked a window on the house about 20 feet from the shed, and melted plastic recycling bins, tarps, furniture in adjoining yards.

I will admit, the PREVIOUS owner of the house had me install a receptacle in the garage, of which this CURRENT owner "plugged the shed into". The circuit is GFI protected and the GFI did trip and cut power off to the shed, probably as soon as the cord melted and way before the fire department started hosing the structure down. Too bad the place was already burning.

Guess it shows that some people lack basic "common sense" to the point they are dangerous to themselves and those around them.