Fire/Arson Investigations : Fire/Arson Investigations
A place to ask questions and add to probative and informative discussions associated with the various aspects of the field of fire investigation. -- FORUM RULES---BE CIVIL AND NO NAME CALLING, NO BELITTLING, NO BERATING, NO DENIGRATING others. Postings in violation of these rules can be removed or editted to remove the offending remarks at the discretion of the moderators and/or site administrator.
Valuable Lesson Learned
Posted by: Jimmy Collier (IP Logged)
Date: August 19, 2006 02:20PM
Yesterday, I responded to a fire scene that involved a 34 motor home, parked approximately 25 ft from the side of a metal frame shop constructed on a concreate slab foundation. The fire chief told me that after they extinugushed the motor home fire, they were in their overhaul operations when they noticed some coming from incide the shop. After making forcible entry, they discovered a second fire. but not indications of the fire having been stared by exposure from the motor home.
Inside the shop, I saw a regular "cheap" version of a multiplug power strip that was not "plugged in" to anything. There were two large cables plugged into some of the outlets on the strip. It power strip appeared to be safe because it was not plugged in to a wall recepticle, but was I EVER WRONG!
The use of what I was seeing was not matching the fire scene indicators. I traced the cables from their beginning in the power strip and found a suprise at the other. The other end of one of the cables plugged into the power strip was wired into the meter base. This cable ran for over 150 feet with a splice. The male plug on the power strip measured 110 volts. The rest of the electical connections and wiring to the motor home were as bad and this appears to have been the cause of the fires.
Jimmy Collier
Deputy State Fire Marshal
Inside the shop, I saw a regular "cheap" version of a multiplug power strip that was not "plugged in" to anything. There were two large cables plugged into some of the outlets on the strip. It power strip appeared to be safe because it was not plugged in to a wall recepticle, but was I EVER WRONG!
The use of what I was seeing was not matching the fire scene indicators. I traced the cables from their beginning in the power strip and found a suprise at the other. The other end of one of the cables plugged into the power strip was wired into the meter base. This cable ran for over 150 feet with a splice. The male plug on the power strip measured 110 volts. The rest of the electical connections and wiring to the motor home were as bad and this appears to have been the cause of the fires.
Jimmy Collier
Deputy State Fire Marshal
| Subject | Views | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 Valuable Lesson Learned |
1632 | Jimmy Collier | 08/19/2006 02:20PM |
|
Re: Valuable Lesson Learned
|
991 | jgmcfps | 08/21/2006 09:17AM |
|
Re: Valuable Lesson Learned
|
952 | jgmcfps | 08/21/2006 09:19AM |
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.