Dangers of Fire Showcased in ‘Black Museum’

There are many potential causes of fire in a home or business, but some are likely to be more familiar to the general public than others.

Dishwashers and light fixtures are pretty commonly heard causes, but how about cable theft, magnifying glasses, or spontaneously combusting planters? These are just some of the causes of fire that are being displayed in the Black Museum, a virtual collection of images and stories of fires across the country.

The Black Museum was created by East Sussex Fire & Rescue’s lead fire investigation officer, Mark Hobbs, who wanted to help the public become more aware of the diverse causes of fires. With pictures and videos of all sorts of different fires, Hobbs hopes that the site will make the topic of fire safety “more interesting and real” because safety messages in general “can be a bit of a dull subject. He continued:

As a fire officer, I am very aware of the many and unusual ways that a fire can start and also the very real dangers that arise. I feel strongly that our communities need to be able to share our knowledge and experiences so that they are better informed about potential fire hazards and how they can take action to minimise them.

Unusual fire causes

Some of the more unusual fires make for interesting reading. In one incident, a homeowner explains how his house was gutted by fire after he left a magnifying glass in a south-facing window. He explained how the magnifying glass focused light onto his curtains, setting them alight.

Click the image below to view the full gallery:

Click here to view Figure 1.

For almost a year, his family were in rented accommodation while his house was rebuilt. He also said:

When I think how our fire started it sickens me to think that it could have been prevented so easily.

Magnifying glasses, crystals, paperweights, shaving mirrors and other glass objects can be extremely dangerous if they are penetrable by the sun.

None of these items will ever be left near a window in my house again!

In another incident, the attempted theft of copper power cables caused a short-circuit, making an earth wire that was also connected to gas barrels in a home rise to a dangerous voltage level of 400v. This voltage created a weak point at the gas barrel, which then began to leak. The house meanwhile was turned into what the fire service described as a giant Faraday Cage. This charge ignited the gas and caused fires in two separate properties, and an explosion in a third.

Click here to view Figure 3.

A later Parliamentary enquiry into the problem of cable theft went on to explain how the theft of around GB pound 40 worth of copper had caused around GB pound 500,000 worth of damage to the homes.

Effective fire safety measures

The Black Museum also shares images from slightly more typical incidents such as fires beginning in chip pans or electrical appliances. There are also some impressive examples of the effectiveness of passive fire prevention technologies, including in this video from a fire that started in a fluorescent light fitting in a Devon sheltered housing block:

The CCTV images show the damage and spread of the blaze, but if you watch through to around 2:40 you’ll also see how incredibly effective the intumescent seals and fire doors were at containing the fire within the one corridor.

This is a fantastic advert for the effectiveness of these products in controlling the spread of fire.