Something We All Have In Our Homes Started This House Fire

Never put 9-volts batteries with steel wool, unless you want a fire. Don't pile up stuff on top of a car battery, it could short and start a fire. Never use linseed oil and toss the rag in the trash, unless you want a trash fire. Never store gasoline near an open flame or use to start a fire - duh, and if you smell natural gas or propane, even static electricity can set it off. Gunpowder or fireworks manufacturing - static and sparks will blow you up. Sodium, magnesium, and phosphorous are explosive and hard to put out once burning. And never ever play with matches!

a reply to: StoutBroux

Erm, stating the freaking obvious, maybe?

Sometimes I despair at the stupidity of some people (not the OP, but the writer of the article). It's like someone posting on the internet

"I kept some petrol in my garage next to the electric heater, the next thing I knew, my garage was on fire! **WARNING** We now know not to keep petrol near a source of ignition, be aware people! SAVE A LIFE!"...

Duh....

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
And never ever play with matches!

I used to make small rockets out of aluminium foil and matches' heads.

a reply to: ArMaP

Oooh... I'm going to try that when I get home...

Something from my locality:
Dogs cause fire by chewing on matches

Keep your strike anywhere matches out of reach of your dogs!

Another frequent culprit is people leaving laptops and cellphones charging on the upholstery.

My brother in law is a captain a few towns over and this has become a much more frequent source of house fires according to statistics he reviews with his team.

As a firefighter, I'll say...

A) This is a real threat but incredibly rare

The most common residential fires I've encountered in 10 years on the job, in descending order of frequency...

B) Grease/kitchen fires, dryer fires (due to lint + heat), kerosene/electric heaters, discarded cigarettes, faulty drop cords, overloaded receptacles and at least one exploding meth lab every week.

Oh be careful with oil rags. They need to be stored in an air tight metal container. They can and WILL spontaneously combust. It happens more often than you'd think so be careful in the garage.

So with that said, just be mindful and stay safe.

a reply to: StoutBroux

I'm not dissing your post here, knowledge is power and i suppose if this is happening then by all means, spread the word!
But it is kind-of common sense.

When you put a battery in something, anything, what makes it work?
It's touching metal pieces. Which are usually connected to wires leading to the light, phone, RC car, kids toy, guitar pedal, vibrator, UFO detector, whatever.
So, if your battery is touching metal, it's draining it, no?
Yes.
And where is that electricity going?
Oops.

Tupperware, it ain't just for leftovers anymore.

Just imagine how many disasters would be averted in this world if common sense was more common.

Then again, the gene pool needs a little chlorine from time to time.

a reply to: Answer


www.darwinawards.com...

a reply to: StoutBroux

Yes batteries can be dangerous. I still have a scar on my leg from a couple of years ago, when an 18650 lithium ion e-cigarette battery exploded in my pocket while I was driving.

To me its common sense to not have the possibility of a grounding out situation..I used to work with high powered batteries though and have seen what happens when lipo batts are not respected..any batts for that matter.

originally posted by: vonclod
To me its common sense to not have the possibility of a grounding out situation..I used to work with high powered batteries though and have seen what happens when lipo batts are not respected..any batts for that matter.

Which is one among many similar reasons I don't wear jewelry on the job. No rings, no watches, nada.

I saw this photo of a long ago Varta guy who wore his wedding ring, now he's known as "lefty".

a reply to: Bedlam
I can relate to that..I have made the mistake but not had any serious injury. The ring stays at home.

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: StoutBroux

I use rechargeable batteries that get a lot of use but any that aren't being used I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer to help preserve their charge.

NOT a good idea, to place batteries in a freezer, or in a refrigerator. Condensation that gets on the batteries can cause current drain. It's best to store them in a cool, dry place - like a desk drawer, inside a plastic bag, with 9V terminals being taped over.

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: Bedlam
I can relate to that..I have made the mistake but not had any serious injury. The ring stays at home.

Yeah, this guy had some sort of wacky prototype metallic lithium battery back in the early 90s, and picked it up with the ring on. Shorted it out. It lit the ring up white hot, then detonated in his hand like a wp grenade. Not pretty.

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: vonclod

a reply to: Bedlam

I can relate to that..I have made the mistake but not had any serious injury. The ring stays at home.

Yeah, this guy had some sort of wacky prototype metallic lithium battery back in the early 90s, and picked it up with the ring on. Shorted it out. It lit the ring up white hot, then detonated in his hand like a wp grenade. Not pretty.

Holy smokes..pun intended. I have some lithium polymer batteries that can deliver a few hundred amps dc constant no problem..and those are just hobby grade.

a reply to: vonclod

This thing was some sort of vehicle battery proto. It had a VERY low impedance. It sort of left the guy with a palm and a thumb nub for a left hand. Plus a lot of little burn scars.

a reply to: StoutBroux

There is a reason why batteries are considered hazardous waste, and it primarily is due to their ability to cause fires. You really should tape both ends of a used battery completely to prevent them from contacting anything metal.