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Tequesta fire blamed on faulty hot tub wiring[/size]
By MICHELLE SHELDONE
michelle.sheldone@scripps.com
January 31, 2007
An electrical wiring problem claimed the third wood-frame structure in the area
in less than as many weeks.
Kati and Mike Ballard of Tequesta were left homeless and lost at least one of
their two pets to a fire that the Martin County Fire Marshal said was caused by
a short in
hot tub wiring. The short then "ignited the wood frame of the structure," Martin County Chief
Jon Pasqualone said.
The Ballards were at work when a neighbor called to tell them their Paddock
Circle home in South Martin County's Turtle Creek subdivision was on fire.
Inside the home were Bally, the Ballards' yellow Labrador, and Kiki, their
white cat.
Lupita McElroy, who lives across the street, was about to run errands when
she saw the thick black smoke that blocked her view of their home.
Smoke like that "a lot of times caused by the roof — like burning tar, because
that's what it is," Pasqualone said.
"It took seconds to get to that point," McElroy said.
Firefighters from Martin and Palm Beach County and Tequesta spent 20
minutes battling the blaze. They found the Lab, but not the cat.
The Martin County Chapter of the American Red Cross stepped in to assist
the firefighters and the Ballard family.
A Jan. 7 electrical fire, believed to have started with a water heater,
consumed the Jupiter guesthouse of Pat and Bill Magrogan.
No one was injured and the main house on Riverside Drive was not damaged.
But ten days later, Vickie Blakemore of Jupiter Farms lost two dogs and
a bearded dragon after degraded insulation around an electrical cord started
a fire that also left her and her children homeless.
ELECTRICAL FIRE SAFETY TIPS • Purchase UL-approved or safety-tested appliances.
• Give large appliances their own heavy-duty electrical circuit;
follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging in.
• Unplug appliances after use.
• Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
• Consider having a qualified electrician add circuits or outlets that avoid use extension cord use.
• Use only safety-tested extension cords or multiple adapters with built-in circuit breakers.
• If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have an electrician
check them.
• When possible, avoid the use of cube taps and other devices that allow
connecting multiple appliances into a single receptacle.
• Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn, and use bulbs
that match the lamp's recommended wattage.
• Provide appliances with adequate air circulation.
• Keep appliances away from water, and have them professionally serviced if
they get wet.
• Replace broken plugs or frayed and worn cords immediately.
• Call a licensed electrician if you experience frequently blown fuses, tripped
circuit breakers, flickering lights or a shrinking television picture. All are signs
of faulty or inadequate wiring.
• Supervise children using appliances.
• Use outlet covers on outdoor receptacles near swimming pools; keep cords
and electrical devices away from pools; never handle electrical items when you
are wet.
• Ground fault circuit interrupters (
GFCIs) are required in kitchens,
bathrooms, outdoor areas, basements and garages in new residential
construction.
• All arc fault circuit interrupters and
GFCIs should be installed by a
qualified electrician and tested after installation and then once monthly to
make sure they're working properly.
Source: Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Community Education literature
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,,TCP_16736_5316042,00.html
