Hey Sparky,
This is definately a case of over heating! All bleed-through, sticky tar! Really am guessing this is a lightning strike issue. Four circuits in/passing through the exposed remodel area of the house, all with the same markings. Tried an arc fault breaker to see if it picked up any type of damage on the circuits, but all seemed okay. I guess this is going to be one of those "who the hell knows" issues since I have asked every other electrician and inspector in the area and they have all come up blank too!
Thanks for your help though.
Take care,
Jim
