Hello fellow electricians:
I hope everyone has been staying busy I ( working and making Money I hope ) It has already been a busy holiday season for me . The house is decorated with all the lights and 14 Christmas trees. And yes all my lights are on a GFCI outside. Speaking of Holidays I ran across some older articles that I had written about electrical fires,seems we have a lot more around the holidays. Please feel free to use the articles for you website all I ask is that you create a link back for me. Remember Stay Safe and keep Surging Forward.
and Remember for all your  Virginia code update needs see us at www.surgingforward.com
enjoy the article:

Electrical Fires

What Is an Electrical Fire and How to Deal With It

What is an Electrical Fire?

Any fire that is caused by electrical short circuits, overloaded circuits or faulty electrical equipment can be defined as an electrical fire. Anything that causes excessive current flow has the ability to create fire, including lightning - the number one cause of overloaded circuits. Make sure you don't have an outdated circuit breaker box by finding an electrician to come check it for you.
How do you Prevent an Electrical Fire?

The first thing you can do as a homeowner to prevent an electrical fire is to keep from overloading your circuits.

Follow these tips to prevent your circuit breaker from overloading:

* Identify the circuits in the breaker box. The breaker box usually tells the amperage of each circuit as well as the outlets serviced by the circuit.
* Maintain wires, appliances & electrical fixtures. Another thing to put on your list of things to do as a homeowner is to maintain your appliances and make sure the wiring in your home is updated. This may require the services of a qualified electrician.
* Appliances that malfunction may cause an electrical fire, so make sure your appliances are working properly. If you have an electrical appliance that you know is overheating or short-circuiting, shut off the breaker before you unplug the appliance. Electricity takes all paths to the ground, even if that means through you.
* Ask an electrician about installing ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in your home. GFCIs quickly shut off power when problems occur, minimizing electrical shock hazards.

What do you do in the Case of an Electrical Fire?

In the case of an electrical fire, make sure you do not use water to try to put out the fire. If the fire is small and confined, such as the case of an extension cord that you see is starting to smoke and catch on fire, turn off the circuit at the breaker, then unplug the cord and use an ABC fire extinguisher to put out any flames. If no appropriate fire extinguisher is available, you can also use baking soda to extinguish an electrical fire. Typically an overloaded circuit will flip a breaker. If you know a circuit is being overloaded but the breaker didn't trip AND YOU CAN SAFELY DO SO, you should turn off the breaker yourself - or flip the main breaker to the whole house. If you have had a fire, make sure you find an electrician to come evaluate what you'll need to replace and do to prevent another fire.

In general, don't mess around in the case of an electrical fire. Make sure everyone leaves the building and call the fire department or 9-1-1 right away.

  written by:
David Ballentine
of Surging Forward

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