Lubbock Fire Rescue Division Chief, Steve Holland, is warning residents of window air-conditioning units commonly used during summer months.
Two home fires last week were determined to be caused by these cooling agents.
A fire Thursday in the 2400 block of East Ninth Street caused significant smoke damage to the home. Sunday's fire in the 1900 block of 61st Street also causing smoke damage and critically injuring the resident.
Holland says it comes down to placing heavy appliances that use three-prong cords to appropriate outlets.
"When those things run too long that adapter's not rated to pull that kind of a load so it begins to over heat. And if it's in touch with some kind of combustible it will start that on fire," Holland said. "The adapter itself may just get hot enough that the rubber catches on fire and starts burning or it gets so hot that it will short out."
The alternative, Holland says, is calling an electrician to adjust your outlet to carry the large amount of electricity you need to run that appliance.
While it may cost you more than a simple adapter, he says to think about the cost of life put at risk.
A safety message from the :
Do you use a window air conditioner? Does your house have 2 prong outlets? Do you use an adapter like the one pictured here? If your answers are yes, you have a serious fire potential.
In light of two serious fires Lubbock experienced last week (both caused by the conditions described above), Lubbock Fire Rescue felt the need to point out this serious problem and ask for your help in spreading the word about this dangerous situation.
Window air conditioner units and other appliances that use a lot of electricity should NEVER be plugged into adapters or extension cords. These adapters and cords can overheat and cause a fire.
Also, on one of the fires the resident was not able to escape the home because the back door had bars and was padlocked and the fire was at the front door. ALWAYS leave yourself two means of escape.
