Electrical fire is one of the many hazards we all need to be made aware of. Such hazard can become a matter of life and death if one's electrical work is not up to date. On a lighter note, Electrical Fire's can also cause mayhem for your own business. Evidence of such recent accident, reported by The Herald, came about in Plymouth as the local council pointed the finger towards a power company who is being accused of not fully repairing a unit, as a fire broke out and put two nearby businesses at risk.
On arrival, Firefighters extinguished the fire using a dry powder extinguisher, two sets of breathing gear and a thermal imaging camera. Such incident proved to set an example to the locals of why electrical fire should be taken very seriously and certainly raised awareness of the issue in the area.
A spokesman for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire was deemed accidental. Although this seems to be the case, such fire actually wiped out the electric supply to nearby businesses; an ice cream and fish store.
The Herald reported, 'Both firms were left counting the cost as refrigeration units wound down, leaving their stocks of ice cream, lobsters and crabs at risk.
The Herald
Bertie’s owner, Philip Burnett, said he was probably going to have to close up for the day and move all his ice cream stores to his home in an effort to rescue his business.
However Claire Tapper, from The Cracking Crab Company, said her stocks of shellfish could not be saved as there was far too much a risk of contamination.
Mr Burnett said the power went and he could smell smoke. After making investigations he and other people worked out the fire had occurred behind one of the blue double-door units further along the landing stage.
He revealed that power “had tripped out before” overnight but this was in colder weather and his stocks were not affected.
Both business owners said they feared future power cuts could damage their incomes and hoped the issue was dealt with now rather than left to repeat again'.
When speaking to Mrs Tapper, The Herald further reported that 'she had lost all her stock and there were orders that still needed filling and restaurants to supply but the loss of power would affect her for more than just one day. Such electrical fire has not only lead to a health risk, but also then affected her source of income'.
Electrical fire safety should be taken very seriously and is a topic that remains important amongst our electrician courses. Students as well as the public should be made aware of such hazard to help you keep your loved ones safe! Luckily no one was hurt in the above case but such story certianly shouldn't be overlooked!