Important Note to Members

Please turn in all raffle tickets - sold and unsold - as soon as possible. The drawing date is December 1st and all tickets must be returned before then. If you need to make arrangements to drop off your tickets, please email us .

Hard to Find Smoke Odor?

Here is an interesting article found on firegeezer.com regarding CFL bulbs.

On June 18, 2008, BC602 ran a house fire where the occupant reported a haze of smoke in the structure. The first Engine reported an electrical odor at the top of the basement steps that had the distinct odor of light ballast. Initial investigation both visually and with a Thermal Image Camera revealed no unusual hazards. The house contained no “traditional” fluorescent light fixtures. The occupant informed us that they had installed CFL bulbs in numerous fixtures and lamps throughout the house.

We began the process of checking each bulb and found one in a ceiling fixture that had a ballast failure much like we are accustomed to finding in traditional overhead tube lighting fixtures in commercial buildings.

A CFL bulb contains a ballast at the base of the unit between the spiral tube and (Edison) screw. This ballast, encased in a plastic shell, may or may not have visible vent holes or slots.

The ballast contains a Voltage Dependent Resister that, when failure occurs, opens like a fuse to protect the device and associated electrical equipment. The resultant heat and smoke should escape from the vents in the housing. Light smoke may be visible and one will smell that distinct electrical ballast odor. As in the case the other night, there were visible smoke marks and a small, brown oily/gooey residue at the vent holes. These signs were not visible with the bulb in its socket.

Since more CFL bulbs are finding their way into the home, don’t overlook these items when investigating a smoke odor.