News article about a fire. "Officials say the cause is unknown but it was probably electrical".
Rowdy

I was told by a local firefighter that "probably electrical in origin" was more or less the "default setting" for their reports.
Whenever they don't have a valid explanation, that seems to be where they go.

When the cause is "electrical" in nature, aren't fires actually caused by the building wiring system extremely rare?

I am under the impression that most "electrical" fires are caused by improper use of extension cords, power strips, christmas lights, faulty appliances, heaters etc.

Can anyone confirm or deny this, or are hard numbers even available?

Peter

Peter,
The information cited in support of the AFCI rule said that about 40% of the residential electrical fires originate in the building electrical system. Note that this information is derived from the same fire reports that are being discussed in this thread.
Don

I saw a tv proram once about this. There was a resteraunt that cught on fire. They blamed it on the electrical that had been done the day before. Then 3 monthes later someone found the survailence tape in the burnt up VCR. It was still playable. It turned out the waitress cleaning tables had dump some hot cigarette butts into the trash can under the new receptacle.

Second-hand story… in early 1976, while under restoration for the bicentennial, a historic building in the northeast caught fire and quicky burned to the ground. The ‘official’ report stated: “The cause of the fire could not be determined because the building was not wired.”

Don, Sorry for the extremely late response, but I do not believe for a second that 40% of fires are caused by the building wiring system.

Peter

That was one of my biggest pet peeves is when the "firemen" would always say, "It was an electrical fire." Now don't get me wrong I love fireman, ( My dad was a volenter fireman for 20 years.) But I just wish that these officials would just look a little deeper to see if they can get to the root of the fire. Just don't dismiss it as an "electrical fire" just because they didn't do their job correctly.

Well, the origin was electricity but the cause was the IDIOT who plugged six space heaters into two extension cords on the same duplex!
I'm afrais that message will never get across.

[This message has been edited by Big Jim (edited 05-12-2004).]

Well, as one of the "firemen" on the board, IIRC (from an investigator's point of view) that less than 9% of all the fires currently listed as "electrical" in origin really are.
(get it? It's an electrical pun! Y'know...currently... electrical? Oh, never mind)

I think I've seen maybe 6 or 8 that started due to electricity - including the wintertime 30A fuses feeding space heaters on extension cords under carpets one, and the summertime 20A window A/C 'pigtailed' to a 16 awg lamp grade extension cord one.

The investigator on our shift has a really hard time calling any fire electrical in origin - she calls it a "lazy determination".

Ever notice the number of car fires in recent years? Years ago they were not that common but now you don't have to look very far to see one or at least notice a burnt place on the shoulder of the road where one recently occurred.

This increase coincides nicely with the changeover to fuel injected engines. These cars have numerous high pressure fuel lines under the hood as opposed to one low pressure line on engines with carburetors.

I have always been of the opinion that the now common occurrence of engine fires is not just coincedence but is because of the deterioration or damage of the high pressure lines which can very easily spray fuel onto a hot engine.

Yet, whenever I hear the details of a car fire by the FD it is always said to be caused by an electrical problem. How can you tell when there is nothing left?

The majority of people have little or no understanding of basic electricity. Unlike gas, or water, they can't visualize what's actually happening in the wires and devices, so it's all somewhat mysterious to them.

So I think it may be a case of blaming the least-understood system of a house, in the hope that the majority of people will simply accept that "explanation."

I don't know if there is an increase in car fires but I could understand why. Most multiport injection vehicles have a fuel pressure between 30-50 PSI with a 3/8" supply and 5/16 return line. If the fuel regulatior jambs (more common on ford trucks) the pressure will go above 100 PSI. Over the last 10-15 years manufactures have been switching to vinel/plastic fuel lines for the whole auto. Every joint, injector, & filter has o-rings that is a possable leak. When they leak they pour fuel out. Once a car starts on fire it is almost doomed. They have so many plastics, rubbers, fluids that burn (even washer solvent) it is hard to stop a fire.

Tom