Nov 3, 2007 6:03 am US/Eastern
Hidden Home Hazards: Electric Utility Meters
Expert: Inconspicuous Meters Can Cause House Fires
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Residential electric service meters may be more dangerous than you may have thought. (File)
AP
Hundreds of New Yorkers may be at risk to lose their homes in raging fires, but what's more shocking what could cause the fires: your utility's electric meter.
It may sound far-fetched, but it was a frightening reality for the Norris family of White Plains, who recently moved into a new house seven months after watching their previous one burn to the ground.
"We lost everything in our life," says Gail Norris, who moved into the new home with her husband, Jamie, and their two twin daughters in the fire.
"If this happened at four in the morning, we probably wouldn't be here," adds Jamie.
When the Norris' home caught fire in March, the only person home that night was 17-year-old Alexis, who was trapped inside the inferno."When I tried opening the front door it actually felt like somebody was holding the door shut," she recalls.
The Norris' former neighbor Neil Dalbo was also home when the fire broke out, and kicked the door down to help rescue Alexis. "The sparks started going. They were really loud, really bright," he says. "The whole front was engulfed."
After firefighters finally extinguished the blaze, the Norris' were shocked to discover what was believed to be the cause.
"We narrowed it down to the area of the electrical meter," says North Castle Fire Chief Mathew Manfredi.
In fact, Westchester County's Arson team determined the fire started in what they called the "electrical service area" of the home.
CBS 2 obtained official photographs of the Norris house fully engulfed. Those pictures and additional documentation wree taken to forensic electrical engineer Roger Boyell for analysis.
Boyell testifies as an expert witness in court cases to determine fault in electrical home fires, and says it's not unusual as you might think. An electrical meter can and has sparked home fires.
"The meter has pins or prongs that fit into jaws in the socket, and when the pins fit into the jaws insecurely they can make a weak electrical connection which will overheat," Boyell explains.
In fact, most recent statistics from a three-year period show some 425 house fires nationwide have been started at the meter, which is what the Norris' believe happened to them.
A new digital meter was installed four months earlier in their house, but they say Con Ed never got permission nor notified them. Mr. Norris discovered the new unit just two hours before the fire ignited.
"I told the police officers that we just noticed the meter had been replaced and they said that seems to be where the hot spot is," he says.
In a statement, Con Edison tells CBS 2: "There was nothing wrong with the meter that would have started a fire," and disputes the official cause on the fire report.
But that's not enough for the Norris family, who want to warn all homeowners of the danger that may be lurking just outside their home.
"Con Ed took our life away and almost my daughter. They took everything, except the clothes on our back," he says.
The Norris' insurance company is still investigating and has not ruled out a lawsuit against Con Ed. To protect your home, electrical experts say if your meter or surrounding area feels hot, call a licensed electrician to have it checked out.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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