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April 22, 1974 <br />CITY OF <br />everett <br />CITY HALL . 259•8805 <br />CVERETT. WASHINGTON <br />Everett Fire Department °p'GI <br />INSPECTION DEPA°TM ENT <br />Fire Prevention Division <br />Everett, Washington 98201 <br />Attention: Doug McNall <br />Dear Doug: <br />I was requested to make an inspection of a fire at 2423 Grand on <br />the morning of April 8, 1974. <br />It was quite obvious that the fire was started from an overheated <br />baseboard heater. The outside wall on which the heater was <br />mounted, had burned out the studs and exterior siding the length <br />and width of the heater. The heating element in the heater was <br />still intact, but the aluminum fins had burned off more than 3/4 <br />the length of the heater. The fire had destroyed the thermostat <br />beyond being able to determine if the points had burned closed. <br />There was also the possibility that some type of inflanable <br />material could have fallen in on the heating element and laid there <br />long enough to have started burning. I did notice that the heater <br />was wired on a #10 wire circuit which would make it much more <br />difficult to trip off the breaker. <br />This is not a code violation because allowable heat load on a <br />#12 wire is only 3750 watts per circuit where as the heat load on <br />this circuit was about 5000 watts and would require the #10 wire <br />sizes. <br />If I were pressed to give a definate reason for the fire I would <br />have to stay with the theory of burned thermostat points that held <br />the points in a closed position and caused the over heating. <br />Respectfully <br />L. J. Dougherty <br />Electrical Inspector <br />LJD;eb <br />