Electrical fires are caused by electric arc, poor wiring, or external heating. Water should not be used to put out an electrical fire, but dry chemicals like carbon dioxide or baking soda. Turning off the power and using a fire extinguisher is recommended.
When it comes to fire, most people expect a flammable material like wood to catch fire, and assume that water can be used to put out that fire. An electrical fire, which is usually caused by an overload or excess heat generated by an electrical device or appliance, follows different rules. Electrical fires occur for three main reasons: electric arc, non-arc heating, and external heating. Throwing water on an electric fire only makes it bigger and can cause the person to be electrocuted with the water; this is why dry chemicals are used to combat it.
An electrical fire can be caused in three different ways, and the first is by arcing. In this case, which happens mostly with stoves and other appliances that create heat, the heat generated by the unit is too much for the wires to handle. In response to the heat, the sheath around the wires melts and the metal inside is exposed. The metal soon degrades, causing an electric arc. When this arc occurs, fire begins.
The second way is poor wiring, causing extreme heat, but no arcing. In this scenario, the cabling is misconfigured, so wires that don’t need to be in close proximity to each other or wires that are not fit for purpose for the device are being used. The parts or placement are not right, so it is
The fire is separated by class, based on what caused the fire. Electrical fires are known as class C or class E in Australia and are put out with dry chemicals. The most common chemical in these fire extinguishers is carbon dioxide. If a class C fire extinguisher is not available, baking soda can also be used.
Excessive heat is common. When the heat becomes excessive, an electric fire is ignited inside the device.
The third cause of an electrical fire is external heating. This version is very similar to the first cause, and the heating may be enough to melt the wires and cause an arc or overload. The difference is that the heat comes from outside the device. An electrical fire caused by external heat is rare, unless a powerful heater has been trained on the device or the device is already inside a fire.
When an electrical fire starts, the best thing to do first is to turn off the power. This minimizes the possibility of the fire spreading and, for smaller fires, can solve the problem. However, this isn’t guaranteed, so it’s best to use an appropriate fire extinguisher, just in case.
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