Electrical Fires - Gene Hazzard

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Earlier this year, the U.S. Fire Administration released a report on residential electrical fires. "It is important for residents to take necessary and commonly known safety precautions to prevent electrical fires in the home," said United States Fire Administrator Greg Cade. "Checking for overloaded circuits, replacing worn electrical cords and hiring licensed electricians to ensure proper installation of electrical equipment and its components are ways to reduce your chances of having an electrical fire in your home." The report contains a number of statistics and facts that should be of interest to all homeowners, many of which are reproduced here. Faulty electrical installations including inappropriate wiring, overloaded circuits and extension cords cause many residential fires. Based on the latest data, an estimated 28,300 residential electrical fires causing 360 deaths, 1,000 injuries and losses of $995 million occur annually. While new construction is not immune from fires caused by faulty wiring, older homes with outdated wiring that is deteriorating, inappropriately modified, or insufficient for today’s electrical loads are a much greater concern. According to Underwriters Laboratories (UL), over 30 million homes, more than one-third of all U.S. housing, are more than 50 years old. If we think about the large number of appliances now being used, it’s clear that overloaded circuitry is a real issue in these structures. Wiring and electrical components have a life expectancy that does not always equal the life cycle of the building. As electrical equipment wears out, fires are more probable. Electrical systems are the major culprit in residential building electrical fires. The functional and structural areas of the home experience most electrical fires. Functional areas are bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, laundry areas and the like. Fifteen percent of residential building electrical fires start in a bedroom, which is also the leading area of fire origin for fires with injuries and dollar loss. Bedrooms account for 30% of fires that result in injuries and 16% of fires that result in dollar loss. Structural areas of the home include crawl spaces, attics, walls, porches and roofs. Attics, the second leading area of fire origin, account for 11% of residential building electrical fires. While fewer residential electrical fires start in lounge areas (family rooms and living rooms), these fires result in nearly a third of the deaths (31%). Structural components like framing and flooring are most often first ignited in electrical fires. Structural framing (usually wood) alone accounts for 17% of electrical fires. Insulation and interior and exterior wall coverings (e.g., paneling, wallpaper and siding) represent an additional 18%. However, the leading item first ignited in an fires is the insulation around electrical wires and cables. Further, electrical fires that start in walls can smolder for some time. By the time the fire is detected, it may already have spread unseen within the walls. It is important to ensure that the electrical panels, outlets, switches and junction boxes in your home are correctly installed and not damaged or modified by unlicensed electricians. Do not use extension cords and multiple plug-in devices as a replacement for new circuits. Since 15% of residential building electrical fires start in a bedroom, consider upgrading bedrooms with arc fault current interrupters (AFCIs). AFCIs identify arcing at cords, outlets and lights and trip breakers before the arcing can start a fire. Your home’s electrical system is far more important to the safety of your family than the paint, carpet and other aesthetic components on which we tend to spend a lot of time and money. Look after yours and it will give you many years of good and safe service. Gene Hazzard is a life member of the BBVFC, which he joined in 1986. He is a master electrician and operates Hazzard Inc., an electrical and mechanical contracting firm Gene lives in Ocean View with his wife, Tami, and their four children and can be reached at [email protected].