| Property damage and loss of lives, these are | | | | factory production errors to kinking when heavy |
| often the result of fires. But did you know that | | | | furniture is carelessly placed on top of them. |
| one of the leading causes of fire is electricity? | | | | The same principle holds true for electrical |
| Residential electrical fires claim the lives of nearly | | | | products. If their internal wiring or a component is |
| 500 Americans each year and injure another | | | | insufficiently sized or damaged, overheating can |
| 2300. Annually, these fires result in over $800 | | | | result. If things get hot enough and there is |
| million in property losses. | | | | sufficient airflow (oxygen) and combustible |
| Approximately one third of the nearly 70,000 | | | | material (fuel) in the vicinity, then the fire triangle |
| home electrical fires that occur each year are | | | | is complete. The fire starts internally and can soon |
| traceable to design and manufacturing defects in | | | | spread to other objects in the area. |
| electrical products. The rest are caused by the | | | | Electrical arcing can occur when an energized |
| misuse and poor maintenance of electrical | | | | electrical circuit is broken. For example, suppose a |
| products, overloaded circuits and extension cords, | | | | wire carrying current is suddenly broken in two. If |
| and incorrectly installed wiring. | | | | the voltage is high enough, the electricity will want |
| The three components that must be present in | | | | to continue to flow through the air across the |
| order for a fire to manifest and sustain itself are | | | | break to form an electrical arc. If the power |
| well known. These components make up the "Fire | | | | flowing through the arc is great enough, heat can |
| Triangle," a potentially lethal combination of heat, | | | | once again complete the Fire Triangle, resulting in |
| fuel, and oxygen. If any one of these three | | | | fire. |
| components is missing from the triangle, a fire | | | | Forensic engineering analysis of evidence collected |
| can't be started or sustained. In the case of an | | | | from a fire scene often yields telltale signs of |
| electrical fire, it's electricity that creates the heat | | | | overheating due to overloaded electrical circuits or |
| component of the Fire Triangle. | | | | damaged wiring in components. Under close |
| How does electricity contribute to fires? One | | | | examination by an experienced professional, even |
| example would be an overloaded extension cord. | | | | the smallest strand of wire can point to the cause |
| Homeowners are sometimes unaware that | | | | of an electrical fire. |
| extension cords must be sized appropriately for | | | | CSI skills aren't only employed at crime scenes. |
| their ultimate usage. If not, they can overheat, | | | | Forensic engineers also use similar techniques to |
| particularly if they are damaged. Damage to cords | | | | get to the true story of cause and effect. |
| can result from a myriad of factors, from | | | | |