I was at a pub today pricing a job and watched a spark trying to determine if the fire had been started by an electrical fault.
He looked at the charred wood and the remains of the wiring. Without even testing anything or even touching anything he told the the insurance guy that the fire had been started by an electrical fault
The insurance guy said fine, he didn't even ask how he came to his conclusion.
I stood there in amazement and though this guy must be telepathic or something. he waffled on about the lack of any fire alarm or smoke detecters and said he was certain the fire had been caused by an electrical fault. in a storage area above the cellar.
What he didn't know and i did, was that the fire had started in no less than 5 different areas of the pub according to the fire officer, One in a bin behind the bar, one up a balcony about 8 meters from the other another around a wooden spindle area around the balcony where four used disposable lighters were found by the fire brigade. Also the land lord had been suffering from depression after his recent marriage breakup and had been sectioned after the fire under the mental health act.
Ok im NOT a qualified spark, i have dabbled a little but how the flipping heck can you tell if it started by an electrical fault in the 5 mins he was there, 2 of which was spent trying to get his torch to work and without even isolating the effected area and switching on the electricity...
I told the spark this after we all left the building and the fire officer and insurance guy had left, He looked a little worried and said " well its difficult when the area is so badly fire damaged but you can clearly see wires with no insulation. I thought well thats pretty obvious after the place has just burned down.
He looked at the charred wood and the remains of the wiring. Without even testing anything or even touching anything he told the the insurance guy that the fire had been started by an electrical fault
The insurance guy said fine, he didn't even ask how he came to his conclusion.I stood there in amazement and though this guy must be telepathic or something. he waffled on about the lack of any fire alarm or smoke detecters and said he was certain the fire had been caused by an electrical fault. in a storage area above the cellar.
What he didn't know and i did, was that the fire had started in no less than 5 different areas of the pub according to the fire officer, One in a bin behind the bar, one up a balcony about 8 meters from the other another around a wooden spindle area around the balcony where four used disposable lighters were found by the fire brigade. Also the land lord had been suffering from depression after his recent marriage breakup and had been sectioned after the fire under the mental health act.
Ok im NOT a qualified spark, i have dabbled a little but how the flipping heck can you tell if it started by an electrical fault in the 5 mins he was there, 2 of which was spent trying to get his torch to work and without even isolating the effected area and switching on the electricity...
I told the spark this after we all left the building and the fire officer and insurance guy had left, He looked a little worried and said " well its difficult when the area is so badly fire damaged but you can clearly see wires with no insulation.
I thought well thats pretty obvious after the place has just burned down.
