An extension cord was probably the reason why a house in Holmestrand caught fire recently. The fire service is now warning against more such fires this Christmas. And it is easy to fall into a trap. Do not plug in too much Appliances that use more than 1000 watts should not be connected to extension cords over time. This applies, for example, to panel ovens, portable oil ovens, tumble dryers, washing machines and the hot water tank. And if you have already used an extra wire for the Christmas lights, it is a bad idea to connect a heater as well. Think carefully, urges fire chief Tor-Atle Jakobsen in the Vestfold intermunicipal fire service. SMOKE-FILLED: This is what it looked like after the fire in Holmestrand, which probably started in an extension cord. Photo: Vestfold intermunicipal fire service Can destroy the floor A hot extension cord can quickly cause scalding marks. If it is on the floor, you may have to risk having to lay a new floor, says the fire chief. If smoke also occurs, powder from powder appliances can destroy entire rooms or homes. The smell can also settle in clothes and furniture. – We don’t want to scare people, but it’s more to point out the importance of using things correctly, says Jakobsen. Here’s how you can avoid fires in extension cords: Take it seriously if you see damage to cords or connectors. Discolouration, clearly brown or yellow, may indicate that there is an unfavorable development of heat in the connector or the cable. If you smell burnt plastic, be alert. Even if there is no fire, things can happen inside the electrical components. If an electrical component is abnormally hot, you should be alert. Cable break. Damage and breaks on the cable can lead to a fire. Also check where the cord enters the plug, that it is in order and intact. Pull out the plug itself and not the cord when disconnecting the plug. Feel free to unplug electrical items that are not in use. Source: If Many people make mistakes The Directorate for Community Safety and Emergency Preparedness states that the police’s reporting of causes for residential fires (fires in buildings and dwellings) that started in electrical equipment in 2022 shows that 43.7 percent have an electrical cause. The insurance company If can also state that around half of the fires are linked to electrical installations, or things connected to this. And many fall into the trap when it comes to extension cords and branch connectors, warns communications manager Sigmund Clementz. BEWARE: Don’t make your own Christmas tree out of branch sockets, advises communications manager Sigmund Clementz at If insurance. Photo: If Most often this happens when they have to fit everything they have from PCs, TVs and so on. – And then they connect these branch connectors into each other, so that you almost have a Christmas tree of branch connectors. If an overload occurs, heat may develop. If you’re lucky, the fuse blows before it starts a fire. Not made for forwarding Clementz cites an example from Tønsberg where an e-bike battery caused total damage to a house. It was an extensive job to make it habitable again. – All interior walls and insulation had to be scraped out. Then we wrapped the house in plastic, and it had to undergo an ozone treatment to remove odors. The entire house had to be rebuilt inside. – An apparently small fire in a house can cost many hundreds of thousands to put right again, in some cases also millions. The communications manager has a call for people in the run-up to Christmas: – Let the Christmas tree be a Christmas tree, and don’t make your own Christmas tree out of branch connectors.
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Warns against incorrect use of extension cords – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
