USB type C burning?

[blackcloud]

Hi all

We noticed a plastic burning smell and a little smoke and discovered the end of the USB Type C seems to have melted the black plastic on the end. It was not in use at the time and I presume someone had put a plastic bag on top of it as it had melted a hole in the plastic.

Why did this happen? Was something faulty eletric wise? If so what? Was it the USB cable?, the USB multi socket (see photo) or the socket in the wall it was plugged into? Or none of these and it was simply because if you leave a plugged in USB touching something it will catch fire or should this not happen?

Please see photos and any advice appreciated

 

[FrodoOne]

Are you saying that
the USB Plug was inserted
into the USB Power Supply,
which was plugged into a Socket-Outlet (turned ON)
with a plastic bag over the lot?

We noticed a plastic burning smell and a little smoke and discovered the end of the USB Type C seems to have melted the black plastic on the end. It was not in use at the time and I presume someone had put a plastic bag on top of it as it had melted a hole in the plastic.

Why did this happen? Was something faulty eletric wise? If so what? Was it the USB cable?, the USB multi socket (see photo) or the socket in the wall it was plugged into? Or none of these and it was simply because if you leave a plugged in USB touching something it will catch fire or should this not happen?

"Was it the USB cable?,"
Probably a faulty cable - or Plug.

"the USB multi socket (see photo) ?"
Unlikely, since (surprisingly) not any outlet seems to be scorched.

"the socket in the wall it was plugged into?"
Certainly NOT

If you leave any device plugged and running with a plastic bag over it
you should expect some heat build-up
BUT
not as much as seems to have occurred in this case!

 

[blackcloud]

Thanks. No the end of the USB cable was against a plastic bag someone had put on table and it melted a hole in it.

Only thing that was melted was the end of the USB cable. The multi socket plug had no damage to it at all.

 

[securespark]

I would discard the 3 way USB adaptor as that damage to the USB plug may have caused heat damage to the USB socket and/ or PCB inside the adaptor.

 

[mikeyd]

My guess would just be a faulty or damaged type-c plug on the cable. Maybe the pins inside were bent and touching from previous use. Or a bit of metal from something else found it's way inside.

I would discard the 3 way USB adaptor as that damage to the USB plug may have caused heat damage to the USB socket and/ or PCB inside the adaptor.

Even though it is at the other end of the cable?