Power strip blamed for bank fire

BY JERRY SIEBENMARK

The Wichita Eagle

Nearly two months after a fire swept through the executive offices and other parts of Bank of America, officials are uncertain when things will be back to normal.

"They're still in the process of cleaning the workspace and assessing the damages, so (a renovation) has not started at this point in time," Rob Allison, Bank of America Kansas president, said Wednesday.

On Aug. 10, a three-alarm fire broke out at the Bank of America Center at Broadway and Douglas. Allison said the most heavily damaged portion of the building was on the third floor, where his office was located.

Wichita Fire Marshal Ed Bricknell said Wednesday that the fire started from a power strip underneath a desk on the third floor.

"Exactly why it malfunctioned, we don't know," Bricknell said.

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Antique Mall Fire caused by surge protector

Gas House fire cause pinpointed

By Nancy McCleary
Staff writer

An overloaded surge protector is believed to have started the fire that destroyed
the Gas House antiques mall and the Festival Park Place building in downtown Fayetteville.

Investigators found numerous extension cords plugged into the protector, said Chris Morey, Fayetteville Fire Department battalion commander.

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Faulty surge protector blamed

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Surge Protector Could Be To Blame For Crafton Fire

(KDKA) CRAFTON A faulty surge protector could be to blame for a fire in Crafton this evening.

Firefighters say the blaze broke out in the upstairs apartment of a building on Oregon Avenue.

The woman who lived there, a KDKA-TV employee, says she had her laptop computer plugged into the surge protector, along with a lamp and a stereo.

The damage from the fire was confined to the upstairs apartment. The unit downstairs had some water and smoke damage.

Crafton Fire Chief Roy Hermes says the fire could have caused more damage if it weren’t for an off-duty Carnegie firefighter who happened to be in the neighborhood visiting a friend.

“He ran up and, made an initial assessment and, then went in the building as far as he good without gear, and breathing apparatus,” Hermes said. “He was there, and gave us a good assessment, upon our arrival and, that's very helpful to get information like that, right from the get go.”

Overloaded surge protector

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House fire destroys family's possessions

By MARCIA LANE | More by this reporter | marcia.lane@staugustinerecord.com | Posted: Thursday, November 16, 2006 ;

Firefighters work at the scene of a house fire in West Augustine early Wednesday morning. Photo by Rob Kilroy

A St. Johns County School District employee and her family are finding friends rallying behind them following an early morning fire on Wednesday that left them homeless.

"The good thing is there were no injuries," St. Augustine Fire Department Capt. Ed Tyler said of the fire that gutted the interior of the residence of Carla and Kelvin Whitfield and their four children.

Tyler said the single-story wood frame residence at 7 N. Whitney St. was "probably salvageable." Most of the contents of the house were destroyed.


Tyler said fire and heavy smoke were coming out of the front bedroom of the building when firefighters arrived at 4:53 a.m.

"It took about 10 minutes to get the fire knocked down," he said. The cause of the fire was an overloaded surge protector, Tyler said. An electrical heater was plugged in the surge protector and all the other slots were in use.

Carla Whitfield, who works in the main office of the St. Johns County School District, quickly found out she has friends.

St. Johns County School Superintendent Joseph Joyner was late for an early morning meeting at the district office, having stopped to see the Whitfields and find out how the family was doing.

Preventing Fire:

With colder weather on the way, fire officials warn people that they should be careful when using electric heaters.

It is best not to use extension cords with them.

If using extension cords, they need to be properly rated for space heaters.

Surge protectors should not be used as extension cords.

Kerosene heaters should be allowed to cool off before kerosene is added to them.

When using any kind of heater, keep it away from soft items such as curtains and covered furniture.

Keep heaters away from any kind of combustibles.

-- Capt. Ed Tyler, St. Augustine Fire Department