How to Put Out an Electrical Fire?

Do you know the facts that in the USA, from 2015 to 2019, 430 people per year were reported to be killed due to electrical fire?

It feels sad to imagine the onset of fire in someone’s house and listen to this news on TV, but it is also a reality that electrical fire causes damage to property worth 1 Billion.

Moreover, 1400 injuries and 500 deaths are also reported every year due to electrical fire. So, we need to understand electrical fire and ways to put out an electrical fire.

The first step is to know what an electrical fire is, why it is different from other fires, and finally, the tips for putting out an electrical fire.

Faults and defects in electrical sets, such as poor wiring, switches, plugs, or old wiring, set electrical fire.

In this blog, we will discuss the potential causes and the warning signs of electrical fire, and at the end, we will explain how to put out an electrical fire.

What are the Main Causes of Electrical Fire

Electrical fires do not happen suddenly. These are due to some reasons which are given as under

Old Wiring System

The wires become loose and frayed over time if the house’s wiring system is ancient. This can result in electrical fire.

Appliances being used for years

If the appliances used in a house are ancient, their cords and switches become prone to catching fire.

Low Voltage Circuits

If the circuits with a low voltage are overloaded with too many switches, they can spark and cause fire.

Overloaded Extensions

If you use an appliance that needs a high power supply and plug its switch into an extension, it can catch fire. Always install the plugs for your high-power appliances, such as washing machines, microwaves, etc., in the direct switches.

Poor Installation of Switches

Poorly installed switches, with loose connections, low-quality plugs, and improper wiring, can lead to an electrical fire.

Faulty Fixation of Lights

Wrong fixation of bulbs and lamps induces heat, which results in fire. Moreover, using more wattage bulbs and lights that electricians do not recommend can cause a considerable loss in the form of electrical fire.

Wrong Placement of Electrical Heaters

Electrical heaters near the curtains, sofas, or combustible material can get fired. Moreover, putting any cloth or paper on the electrical heater is also a leading cause of electrical wires in houses.

The points mentioned above are the possible causes of electrical fire. To prevent this unpleasant scenario in your house or working space, you should be careful about the electrical appliances, low voltage circuits, placement of heaters, and the proper installation of your switches.

After following the precautions, if you encounter a fire incident at your home, working space, or neighborhood, the next step is understanding whether it is an electrical or a natural fire. Because both are different and both need other ways to be put out.

Warning Signs Of Electrical Fire

Let’s explain the signs of electrical fire for better understanding and responding quickly to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Burning Smell of Plastic

The wiring is usually made of plastic and PVC; if you continuously feel a burning smell of any plastic, it hints that your place can experience an electrical fire. It’s time to call the electrician and inspect your electrical setup. In case of any old switch, malfunctioning wire, or overloaded circuit, replace it immediately.

Emission of Smoke From Switches

The emission of smoke is a common sign of fire. However, the fire is electrical if this smoke comes from switches and electrical appliances.

Usually, after a few minutes of smoke emission, that particular switch, appliance, or circuit gets the fire. So, if you are present on the spot and see this happening, immediately switch off the electricity from the breaker.

Sparks, Explosions, and sizzling sounds

Explosion of the spark with sizzling sounds from the switches are the signs of an immediate electrical fire burst. So, after these signs, you think about how to escape from that place. Usually, in houses, windows and back doors are designed in case of fire emission.

In multi-story residential and commercial buildings, alarms are fitted to alert people about fire eruptions. Consider the nearest possible way to escape the incident in such a scenario.

Warm and Faded SwitchBoards

If your switches feel hot upon touching and the switchboards and plugs’ colors disappear, Change them as soon as possible. It is a warning sign to protect you and your loved ones from fire.

Warning Sign From Circuit Breaker

Circuit Breaker is the organizer of the electricity flow in your place. If circuit breakers are tripping often, it is a sign that electricity from the grid station is coming at a higher rate than recommended. In this case, inform the officials about the situation or call an expert electrician to check the system and make necessary changes.

Blinking Lights

How do you take flickering lights? Do you also connect them with the ghosts?

They may be more dangerous than ghosts.

They can brew your home on an electrical fire. Yes, flickering lights are a big sign that the flow of electricity at your place is not in the normal range, and it can lead to setting the house on electrical fire.

After knowing the cause of the electrical fire and possibly eliminating all warning signs, electrical fire may still happen because human errors are possible. You may not notice the minute warning signs, and they ultimately develop in a large fire.

So, the next step is to decide how to behave in this situation. What to do to save your life? Let’s discuss this step in detail.

Tips and Tricks to Control Electrical Fire

Controlling electrical fire requires professional skills. But, in an emergency, everyone must know some essential tips to protect themselves. These crucial tips are given below.

Install an alarm system to Inform Everyone.

This is the first and foremost step. In case of setting fire in your house, commercial building, or even industrial level, an alert alarm is an essential gadget to save people’s lives.

Usually, malls, restaurants, and industries have this setup. All the members of that specific place must be trained to escape after listening to the particular sound of the fire alarm. This helps to reduce the loss of lives.

Switch Off the Electricity Supply

Evacuating people is the second most crucial step to minimize property loss. If an electrical fire erupts from an appliance like a washing machine or television, you should immediately switch off the plug of that appliance.

If you observe the fire spread to the nearby switches and wires, switch off the main electrical supply from the breaker. This helps prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the place.

Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is a material that is used to stop electrical fires. However, ensure you have plugged off the switch while throwing soda on the fire appliances. Baking soda blocks the oxygen, which plays a part in the explosion of fires. So, it limits the fire to a specific area and prevents it from spreading to other areas of the house.

Use of Electrical Blanket

It is always good to have an electric blanket in hand to use during an emergency.

If these blankets are unavailable at home, regular blankets can also be used.

Use Fire Extinguisher

Do you know about fire extinguishers?

A fire extinguisher is a device full of dry or wet chemicals that are helpful to control fire at the mini level.

Different types of extinguishers are used in the market. But type C and ABC are used for electrical fire. So, only buy these two because other types have chemical conductors for electricity.

Water mist Fire extinguishers are also available in the market, but they require proper training for usage. So, they are only available for the untrained persons.

Are you aware of the usage of the extinguisher?

If yes, then it is perfect. But sometimes, people get nervous in an emergency and forget to operate the distinguishers. So, we describe the process of using a distinguisher in simple, easy steps.

We advise you to write these points on a page or poster and place them in your house’s lounge or the work space’s main entrance.

Remember the word PASS.

 P= PULL

 A= AIM

 S= SQUEEZE

 S= SWEEP

The details of these words are as follows.

• Pull the safety pin of the extinguisher. You can also remember this pin by its color, which is SILVER.
• Aim the hose and nozzle of the distinguisher.
• Squeeze is linked with the handle of the extinguisher. So, squeeze the handle.
• Sweep: as the name indicates, the sliding or movement of something from one place to another. It means you must sweep the distinguisher from left to proper to left. So, that entire portion of the place that gets fired is covered.

Throw Water after switching off the Main Supply.

If the main switch is off but the fire does not stop and disperses to the surrounding areas, you can throw Water to secure the other places.

Call FireFighter

If you see things out of control, then call the firefighter immediately. Firefighters are more trained and equipped with modern techniques and tools to control the fire. Moreover, they can guide you on the phone to take precautionary measures to save yourself till they arrive.

What not to do with Electrical Fire?

Let’s discuss some do lists during an electrical fire emergency.

• Never become greedy to secure your belongings. Your life is more important than material things. So, evacuate on priority if you can not stop the fire using tricks.
• Never choose scary ways to escape. If you are on the top floor of a building, running from the window is not a safe way.
• When you exit, never keep the doors open in a hurry; rather, close them because it helps to keep the fire limited.
• Suppose you get the clue that the fire results from any electrical disruption, then never throw Water on it directly. Instead, switch off the electricity before using Water.
• Do not panic. Use the described methods wisely. They will help you to control the fire.

Precautionary Measures To Prevent From Electrical Fire

You have read all the possible ways to stop an electrical fire. But how is it good to know the preventive measures that can prevent you from any potential electrical fire setup?

Doesn’t it feel more safe?

So, Let’s discuss them.

Call an Expert Electrician to Inspect

Call an expert electrician to inspect your home if you observe fire risk factors. They have specific devices that can detect any fault in the electrical setup that is not detectable by the breakers. An expert electrician can enhance the chances of safety from an electrical fire up to 50-75%.

Rewiring of the Old Houses

If you are living in a house that is 50 years old, you must think about rewiring the whole house. Rewiring charges are more than the new wiring. You can contact any Electrical Estimating Services provider to find out the exact cost of rewiring your home.

Never Overload the Circuit

Always use the recommended watts of bulbs, lights, and lamps to avoid overloading your circuit. Moreover, try to reduce the usage of extensions and never put high-powered appliances on the extensions. Instead, install separate switches for high-powered electrical machinery.

Hire Experts for Wiring

If you are constructing a new home or any building, try to hire expert and professional electricians. An experienced electrician can do the work at low cat low charges, which cause massive losses in the future in the form of electrical fire.

You May Also Like, Cost To Wire A House

Insect Electrical Setup Regularly

Make it your habit to check electrical appliances, switches, and plugs biweekly or monthly because it can alert you of any fault or fraying of the wires in advance so that you can call an electrician to replace these wires and switches, etc.

Use Portable Space Heaters

In winter, be careful with the usage of the heater. Never place the heater near any combustible material that can easily catch fire. We recommend using portable heaters because they have an automatic system to shut off after the temperature adjusts. In this way, you do not have to monitor the heater periodically.

Ensure Children Safety

Always install children’s safety outlets and fixtures. Many alarms, outlets, and appliances that ring close when the children touch them are available.

Conclusion

Electrical fires have been a cause of lives and property loss in previous years. So, everyone must know the essential tips about how to put out an electrical fire.

In this article, we have discussed the potential causes of electrical fires, which are poor or old wiring systems, overburdened circuits, usage of extensions, etc. So, one can reduce the risks of electrical fire by continuously monitoring electrical setups, calling electricians for inspection in case of any fault, using the recommended wattage of bulbs, lamps, and lights, etc.

In an electrical fire emergency, one should not pour Water directly on the fire; instead, it can be handled using baking soda, an extinguisher, switching off the supply, and calling the firefighters.

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