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Topic: A reminder about safety (Generators backfeeding into the panel of a (Read 3 times) previous topic - next topic
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A reminder about safety (Generators backfeeding into the panel of a
Yahoo Message Number: 58608
I live on the North end of Los Angeles. Friday afternoon, there was a power outage in my neighborhood. I got home about an hour later, and noted the sound of a small generator running as I drove up my Cul-de-sac.  I didn't pay much attention. Just lit some candles for the girls to see by, and went to relax in my room.
 About 30 minutes later, my wife called me, screaming 'THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!!!!'. I jumped up, ran down stairs, and realized that I heard something, but it wasn't my house. The wife and daughters were outside, pointing at the house at the entrance to my Cul-de-sac, as I rounded the corner of the livingroom, I saw the brightness. She stayed with the girls as I joined the other neighbors in running to see if the owner was out, and if it had spread to the next house yet.
The owner was outside, holding his dog, just staring, and he was wearing a woman's bath robe (guess he ran out, totally nude, so one of the other neighbors gave him the only thing she had that would fit (he is a big guy). We were told that she also called 911 already, so we just aimed the adjacent houses garden hose at the roof of his (the next door house) to try to delay the heat/flames. Within a few minutes the Fire dept arrived, and took care of it very quickly (a total of 5 trucks, and one Suburban).
 After spending a few minutes calming my six year old, I hopped onto my motorcycle, and went to Wal-Mart to buy several Lantern Type flashlights. The Sheriff's wouldn't let me ride back down my Cul-de-sac, so I parked the bike one block away and walked home, noting that there were still two Firetrucks there, and the Suburban. They were inside of the house, with big portable lamps.
 A couple of hours later (about 11:30pm) the power went back on, so I walked down the street to retrieve my motorcycle, and saw the Electrical Utility guys, so I thanked them, and spoke with them for a few minutes.
 They explained that the homeowner ran wire from the generator in his Travel Trailer to feed the main panel in his house (yes, he shut the main breaker they noted), but he obviously was not as proficient as he thought. The panel caught on fire less than half an hour after he started this, and he could not stop it. He is a construction worker by trade, and keeps his 25' Terry Trailer in his yard (obviously this was the Generator that I heard upon returning home earlier).
 He was taken to the hospital for 'Smoke Inhalation', but is basically ok. This morning there was a crew there boarding up his house. I am positive it is a total loss. The front wall is the only part that doesn't look too bad, but from any other angle, it is destroyed. The area still smells like smoke.

Please everyone, be careful.

ken wannabe in SoCal

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Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] A reminder about safety (Generators
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 58616
Ken: Thank you for this thoughtful warning and reminder.  We all need to be reminded to be very careful and think it all out before we do something.  I am sorry about your neighbor and his house. I am glad he is ok.  Mari Susan

Ken Sann wrote: