Overheated Wires Cause Fire In Orange County Home

SANTA ANA, CA — A Santa Ana family called 911 when smoke began pouring from the walls of their home, Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Capt. Jon Muir reported.

Firefighters arrived and used thermal imaging to locate the source of the smoke: an overheated wire inside the walls.

The instance caused $15,000 in damages, and the family thankfully was not forced to leave their home.

Muir, a firefighter for over 25 years, has seen this sort of fire before. One of the causes for super heated wiring is the overuse of extension cords.

Surge protectors and regular extension cords are two different things, he said. Surge protectors protect and cut off the circuit when wires start getting too hot.

Extension cords are meant to provide temporary outlets for power in areas where no outlets exist, such as for a room fan. They are also designed to be used for limited periods of time, Muir said.

"Extension cords are not meant to be permanent solutions for power," Muir said. "We go into businesses and inspect every year and find people using extension cords without surge protectors, regularly. These situations can lead to wire overheating."

It is always best to use wall plugs, and not overload circuits, he said.