How to Put Out an Electrical Fire

It should be mentioned that electrical fire is a specific type of fire, as it refers to fires of the Class C type and occurs right on live wires or in the course of voltage transfer. The nature of such fire suggests refraining from using water for extinguishing fires, which will put a person into the circuit and let the current flow all over the room and catch anything reachable. In accordance with the information obtained from the US Fire Administration, the electric fire incidents in households amount to 24000 occurrence per year and result in hundreds of fatalities and billions of dollars loss. Unfortunately, many people suffer losses due to their wrong actions with wrong equipment in case the fire has started.

In this paper, the causes of electrical fires, the signs of the beginning of their occurrence, ways of dealing with fires of different dimensions as well as fire extinguishers and automatic fire extinguishing solutions for dealing with fires involving electric equipment are reported.

Quick response: (1) In order to put out an electrical blaze, the electricity supply must be turned off first, meaning that the current should be cut off which can be done by switching off the breaker (if securely reachable). Thus, Class C fire will turn into Class A fire. (2) Use either Class C or ABC fire extinguisher with powdered chemicals or CO2. Please follow the PASS rule while using it (P stands for pull; A means to aim at the fire; S means to squeeze; and S means to sweep). (3) If the fire is small, cover it with baking soda. Do not use water or flour. (4) If the blaze has become huge or a lot of smoke has appeared, leave the building. Do not forget to close doors and contact fire services.

What Is an Electrical Fire?

The term electrical fire refers to a fire starting due to the heat generated by the electricity, for different reasons: electric arcs, overheating conductors, breaking down of insulator and so on. It is known under the name of class C fire as the extinguishing agents need to be non-conductive. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, it is fire caused by the heat coming from the electricity conducting materials, such as wires, transformers, etc. It is worth mentioning that around 6.8% of fires in residential buildings are connected with electrical fires in the U.S., which amounts to about 24000 fires every year. Electrical fires can do much more harm than other kinds of fires as they are usually ignited in the places hidden from the view.

How Electrical Fires Start: The Common Causes

The majority of fire incidents caused by electrical current are attributed to a few major issues:

Overloading circuits and outlets – The circuit serves more equipment that the allowed limit, thus leading to overheating of wires.
Damaged or melted wires – In case wires are visible, they are likely to have sparks, especially in hidden positions, behind furniture and under carpets.
Obsolete or faulty wiring – This can be defined as obsolete wiring systems because they are not functioning efficiently, which reveals higher levels of electrical fire statistical data in older homes.
Electrical arcing – This usually occurs after the power influx and can go unnoticed for some time.
Wet or overheated appliances – Demanding firing incidents take place when water is involved or an overheated machine is placed near other objects made of textiles, which can catch fire quickly.
Using a major appliance with extension cord – The cord does not meet electric consumption needs of the appliance.
Electricity bulbs that are too powerful for the fixture – The bulbs are greater than any other appliance in the fixture and the entire structure becomes a fire source.

Where do fires start? Usually in bedrooms (about 15% of all electrical fires at home), then in other places like kitchens or living rooms; however, the most serious ones take place in attics and walls, where it’s harder to control.

Warning Signs: The Fire That Warns You First

Signs of electrical fire can be observed before you experience the actual fire. Be careful of the following symptoms:

A ‘fishy’ smell that comes from nowhere. When the plastic gets overheated inside the wall or the power socket.
Lights that flicker or dim. Check for bad connection or faulty circuit.
Warm switch socket or socket plate. This means too much power is received or there is an electrical fault.
Sound of buzzing, crackling, or sizzling coming from power socket or outlet.
Repeatedly tripped breaker. The problem in the circuit is either overload of the circuit itself or the breaker malfunction.
Sparks coming from the outlet or appliance.

You will need to call an electrician immediately, due to the reasons mentioned above. The cost of prevention will never match the price of dealing with an actual fire.

Step by Step: How to Put Out an Electrical Fire

If you are facing a small and contained fire, such as an electric outlet sparking, an appliance that is caught in flames, or a burning cord, make sure that you have a clear escape route behind you and take the following steps:

First and foremost, switch off the power supply if it is safe to do so by switching off the main breaker (or switching off the correct circuit breaker if you know where it is located). This will convert the fire from Class C to Class A. You must never approach the electrical panel if you see any water nearby. If you can’t reach the panel safely, skip to Putting Out the Fire since switching off the power supply through a switch on the wall is not reliable enough.
Only use a Class C or ABC dry chemical extinguisher; make sure you aim at the base of the fire rather than the flames. Use the PASS method.
Only if you don’t have a fire extinguisher, attempt to smother the small fire with non-conducting materials, like baking soda or a heavy wool blanket.
Be careful that the fire may reignite after it has gone out completely.

Extinguisher Types: Class C, ABC, CO2 — What to Use

Extinguisher Type	Safe on Live Electrical?	Agent	Best For
Class C	Yes	CO2 or dry chemical (often sodium bicarbonate)	Electrical fires on energized equipment; the correct class for Class C fires
ABC (multipurpose)	Yes	Dry chemical (monoammonium phosphate)	The best all-purpose home choice: works on ordinary, liquid, and electrical fires
Class A only	No	Water / foam	Wood, paper, cloth — never on energized electrical equipment
Class K	Not primary	Wet chemical	Kitchen grease fires, not electrical

Practical advice: each household ought to be equipped with ABC dry-chemical extinguishers, that is, ones that combat class A, B, and C fires so you do not need to identify the class while under stress, while in office, workshops, and server rooms, CO2 extinguishers are needed when working with electrical equipment as CO2 puts out fires without fouling in any way. A 5-lb ABC unit is the standard size for kitchens and garages; larger areas will require larger devices and regular verification.

What NEVER to Do

Water should not be used at any cost. This is because it is a good conductor of electricity. Doing so can electrocute a person. Water being poured on a live electrical fire can spread the electricity across a room, causing more fires. This rule is the most important of all.
Flour should never be used. Although it can keep food from burning, flour is combustible so it will create an explosion. There is absolutely no fire stopping property in flour.
Any cloth or towel will never be effective in putting out the fire. Most of the fabrics will melt. Heavy non-conductive materials only should be used for the fire but only in case of extreme necessity.
Never fight a fire, if it is growing quickly. If the fire is spreading and smoke fills the place, the person should escape. He should close the door and call 911.

Automatic Suppression: Hot-Aerosol Devices for Panels and Enclosures

The most effective way to protect areas where electrical fires are most likely to happen, such as breaker panels, switchboards, distribution boxes, and electrical cabinets, is not through using a manual extinguisher but using automatic suppression devices that are installed inside the enclosure. Hot-aerosol fire-extinguishing devices can be installed directly in the cabinet and will be activated automatically when fire appears (when fire is detected using heat or electricity), flooding the enclosure with a small amount of non-conductive aerosol and killing the fire instantly without requiring any human involvement at all.

These devices are a modern standard when it comes to electrical-cabinet protection in commercial, industrial and residential areas.

Red Strip series hot-aerosol extinguishing devices — compact strip-format units for small distribution boxes and terminal enclosures, activated by heat or an electrical signal
DIN-rail series hot-aerosol extinguishing devices — clip directly onto standard DIN rails inside panels and control cabinets, ideal for retrofitting existing switchboards without layout changes
Circle series hot-aerosol extinguishing devices — cylindrical units for larger enclosures and battery cabinets, with higher suppression capacity
Black Square series hot-aerosol extinguishing devices — square-format units for distribution cabinets and industrial control panels, with a low profile for tight spaces

The distinction of having handheld suppression systems gives enclosures an upper hand because an installation is always ready, always switched on, needs no qualified users, is spotless, and operates at the time when fire in the panel is still small; that is, that means before it spreads and becomes a flame in the whole building. Therefore, in order to provide homes with old panels, workshops with high power consumption, and any commercial object with electrical cabinets with serious fire protection, it makes sense to install hot aerosol systems in every enclosure.

Household Options When No Extinguisher Is Available

If a fire is minor in size and you do not have an extinguisher handy, some household items can work—albeit with big limits:

Baking soda is probably one of the closest household substances to a Class C dry chemical since it releases CO2 when heated, thus extinguishing small flames. Use it freely on a fire that is about the size of a small pan. This method works only with extremely small fires with power cut off.
A heavy wool blanket can smother small flames by cutting off oxygen; this only works if the fire is exceptionally small, there is no electricity, and the blanket is 100 percent wool (burning synthetics produce melted burning plastics).
A fire blanket is the right type of the above mentioned; it is worth keeping in the kitchen.

None of these alternatives can be considered as substitutes for a fire extinguisher. If the fire is larger than “very small,” do not bother and evacuate.

When to Evacuate and Call 911

The rule of thumb is simple and easy to learn: put out a fire only if it is small, contained, you have a clear exit directly behind you, and the room is not filling up with smoke. If any of those conditions are not met, you need to evacuate. Leave at once, close the door behind you (closed doors can hold a fire back for minutes), call 911 from outside, and never go back. A fire doubles in size approximately every minute and the first 30 seconds decide whether to fight or flee — in doubt always flee.

Prevention: Stopping the Fire Before It Starts

The ideal firefighting technique is one that prevents fires from happening in the first place. In order to be effective in fire prevention, these guidelines need to be followed closely:

Never plug too many devices into the same outlet or power strip. It is recommend to limit to only one device into a power source. It is also best to not plug in heaters and microwaves.
Any cables that are frayed, bent or damaged should be replaced as soon as possible. These types of damages are one of the most noticeable signs of possible fire.
Always use the correct wattage bulbs in fixtures.
When using space heaters, it is important to maintain a distance of at least 3 feet from anything that can burn.
When installing electric systems, modern safety measures should be used.
Inspecting wiring is recommended to avoid problems in future.
Use automatic suppression systems in cabinets and panel boxes to protect them from ignition sources and avoid fires.

Frequently Asked Questions

How would you put out an electrical fire at home?

First, shut off the power at the circuit box only if it’s safe to get to it. Use a Class C or ABC dry chemical extinguisher, applying the PASS method and directing the agent at the fire’s base. A very small fire can also get extinguished with baking soda or using a fire blanket. In case the fire spreads or smoke fills a room, one has to escape the room, close doors behind and call 911. Water must never be used since it can conduct electricity and lead to someone’s electrocution.

What is the best way to put out an electric fire?

The right way to go is to first secure the zone of fire, and then use Class C or ABC dry chemical (or CO2) extinguisher. De-energizing allows treating the fire as a regular Class A fire. In case of fire of electrical panel or box, the most useful tool for the area where the electrical fire occurred would be an automatic hot-aerosol suppression system installed in a box.

What household items can put out an electrical fire?

One can make use of baking soda (it releases CO2 when heated), fire blanket or heavy wool blanket as last solution. The only correct primary tool in the case of electrical fires would be a Class C or ABC extinguisher, and home-made solutions should only be considered if the fire is smaller than a dinner plate.

Can I use flour to put out an electrical fire?

Definitely not! The flour is a combustible dust, which, when thrown onto fire, can produce an explosive fireball. A similar thing can happen with sugar and other flour products. It is better to use baking soda (because it is non-combustible and releases CO2).

References

Conclusion

When it comes to an electrical fire, prompt action is an absolute must; the first thirty seconds of the fire are critical due to the fact that the rule is easy-cut the power, utilize a Class C or a Class ABC extinguisher contrary to using water or flour on the fire; as cases from the US Fire Administration reveal that both the number of electrical fires is 24000 each year and how devastating their nature is. It is necessary to be proactive about the issue instead of waiting for the bravest of people to take action. Thus, it is highly recommended to have appropriate fire extinguishing agents at hand, as well as a working AFCI/GFCIs system that ensures electrical fires’ safety prevention. It is also important to observe warning signs, which, in most cases, include a smell, blinking lights, warm outlet and circuit breaker tripping again and again. The causes of the fires are usually due to minor fire misunderstandings and wrong measures taken at the onset of fire.