Sunday, March 8, 2015

VACUUM CLEANER EXPLOSION IGNITES FIRE, DESTROYS WAITE, MAINE HOME. VACUUM CLEANER WAS USED TO MOP UP FUEL FROM THE GARAGE FLOOR




Firefighters from six towns try to save a log cabin home on Old Mill Stream Road in Waite on Sunday

MARCH 8, 2015

WAITE, MAINE

An exploding vacuum cleaner ignited a fire that destroyed a log cabin on Old Mill Road on Sunday despite the efforts of firefighters from six towns. No injuries were reported, but the house is a total loss, officials said.

Indian Township firefighters called in mutual aid from the Alexander, Baileyville, Calais, Danforth and Princeton fire departments when the call came in from a man at the cabin at about 10:40 a.m., Indian Township dispatcher Carl Nicholas said.

The first firefighters to arrive, from Indian Township about eight miles away, quickly doused the flames in the garage where the vacuum was located.  But the fire had already spread through a breezeway into the 2 ½-story cabin’s first and second floors and then the roof, said Indian Township Fire Chief David Nicholas, whose cousin is Carl Nicholas.

Heavy smoke and fire damage occurred on the first and second floors of the cabin, and about three-quarters of the roof is gone. A lack of available water forced firefighters to shuttle it from the Indian Township station, but that didn’t really impede their efforts, David Nicholas said.

“There were four or five trucks bringing water back and forth so we didn’t have any problems,” David Nicholas said.

No one interviewed knew why the vacuum exploded. Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators will visit the site on Monday. David Nicholas said he saw nothing suspicious in the fire’s origins.

Firefighters left the scene at about 4:30 p.m. They stayed that long to try to ensure that the fire wouldn’t reignite, David Nicholas said.

Since the vacuum cleaner was in the garage, it is possible that it was used to pick up flammable materials (such as gasoline or fuel oil) that ignited inside the vacuum, causing the explosion.  The blower inside the vacuum cleaner is not explosion-proof, meaning that a spark inside the blower will not be contained, creating an explosion.

In an explosion-proof/dust ignition-proof vacuum, everything from the outer shell to the internal mechanics, including the motor, switches, filters and inner chambers are grounded and constructed of non-sparking materials such as stainless steel. Be aware that some industrial vacuum companies offer basic models dressed up with a few anti-static accessories and describe them as suitable for explosive material. These imposters can still create arcs, sparks or heat that can cause overheating and ignition of the exterior atmosphere  that can ignite dust blanketing the vacuum.

It is also possible that the vacuum cleaner was used to clean combustible dust. 
Source:bangordailynews.com