Home Wiring Lab HD
The challenge is to correctly wire a single pole switch, bulb base, and circuit breaker. The 2nd assignment is to correctly wire an circuit breaker, outlet, ...

By: Physics Walker

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Home Wiring Lab HD - Video

SAN JOSE -- Firefighters raced to put out an apparent electrical fire that torched the first-floor of an East San Jose home Thursday and discovered a large pot grow upstairs that was untouched by the flames, authorities said.

Now the San Jose Police Department is working to get to the stem of the operation, which yielded at least 100 marijuana plants that were seized by investigators.

The San Jose Fire Department was called at 10:14 a.m. after a passer-by saw what looked like a garage fire in the 2500 block of Brahms Avenue, near Eastridge Mall and the intersection of Quimby and Tully roads. Flames raced through the first floor, damaging cars in the garage and spreading to other rooms, fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort said.

But the first-alarm response kept the fire from spreading beyond the first floor and contained it to the affected home. It was when firefighters were making their way to the second floor that they spotted marijuana plants.

"The second floor was undamaged and appears to be used as a growhouse," Van Elgort said. "Up in those rooms, no people, just grow products. A high volume of grow products."

It might explain what caused the fire, as illegal growers are known to tamper with a home's wiring and bypass electrical meters to power their enterprises. Van Elgort would not comment on the exact cause of the blaze, citing the concurrent police investigation, but did not dissuade the theory.

"The cause appears to be electrical. I feel fairly confident we can state that," he said. "The guys did a really good job preventing it from extending into he second floor."

No injuries were reported. One of the home's three adult residents was home when the fire broke out but escaped along with four Chihuahuas rescued by firefighters. The resident was not arrested, and it is not clear what, if any, connection that person has to the pot growing operation. The rental home is now being treated as a crime scene.

The fire highlighted a rising trend of illegal indoor pot grows operating in the suburbs of San Jose. Van Elgort noted that at a glance, there would be no hint that such activity was happening at the Brahms Avenue home. Like other grow houses, it looked like just another home, hiding in plain sight until catching fire, which happened twice within four days in San Jose in March.

Besides the fire risks from tampering with electrical systems, the clandestine growing operations can be an indicator of organized crime entering a neighborhood: In the South Bay, grow houses are often run by gangs affiliated with Vietnamese coffee houses, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, which staffs the region's only full-time marijuana eradication detail.

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San Jose: After electrical fire damages home, untouched pot grow found upstairs

Three men have been arrested after police found 150 marijuana plants inside an Arcadia home.

The men were identified as Viet Van Tran, 24, of Arcadia; Jessie Soi Chu, 32, of Temple City and Rodrigo Salas Rodriguez, 48, of El Monte.

They were being held at the Arcadia jail for investigation of marijuana cultivation.

Police, acting on a tip, served a search warrant Tuesday about 3 a.m. at the home in the 1000 block of North 1st Avenue. Inside, detectives found multiple rooms with marijuana plants in various stages of growth.

The pot farm was equipped with irrigation, lighting, ventilation and electrical wiring, police said in a news release.

Detectives described the find as a "a sophisticated marijuana grow operation..." and noted that a separate cultivation was in the process of being dismantled, a news release said.

Authorities suspect possible utility theft from the operation because "the electricity used to power the grow had bypassed the electrical meter."

Detectives are still investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 626-574-5150. Tips can be submitted via text, phone or the Internet to Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

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150 marijuana plants found in Arcadia home; three arrested

Cambridge News Follow us on

Wednesday 21 May 2014 12:03 PM

Written byALICE RYAN

8 Images

Imagine an interior designers pad and somewhere modern, minimalist and almost painfully perfect comes to mind. The kind of place where you dont want to take off your coat, because putting it down would create unsightly clutter. And youre reluctant to sit on the sofa, for fear of denting the cushions.

Cate Burrens Cambridge home couldnt be further from the stereotype. Yes, shes an interior designer and her flat is beautiful truly beautiful. But modern and minimalist it aint, and within minutes of crossing the threshold Ive kicked off my shoes, parked my bag on the floor and strewn my scarf and jacket across a chair. Its just that kind of place: warm, welcoming, a pleasure to be in.

However lovely a room is to look at, if it doesnt work if it doesnt fulfil its function its no good, says Cate, taking a stool at the tall kitchen table. When I was designing this place, it was vital that it should have a warm and welcoming atmosphere; that it be a sociable space.

And your home should also reflect your personality; thats what really makes it your home. You have to work out what your style is and be true to it. I think mine is becoming more and more traditional the older I get: Im fully aware that Im heading towards old granny-dom . . . but thats me: thats what I like.

The property, which sits right beside the leafy Christs Pieces in central Cambridge, is split into two. The ground floor houses the offices of Angel + Blume, Cates acclaimed interior design company, while the top floor is home to her and her two rescue terriers, Mabel and Hector.

Set on the corner of Emmanuel Road and Elm Street, the building dates from the mid-1800s and was originally a pub, The Golden Rose; curvy saloon doors and the grand pub sign a gilded metal rose, which blooms high up on the brickwork are delightful vestiges.

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Cambridge interior designer shares her secrets to a stylish home

Posted: Monday, May 19, 2014 11:41 pm | Updated: 11:42 pm, Mon May 19, 2014.

Faulty wiring causes fire By Leader-Telegram staff Leader-Telegram

An electrical wiring fault caused a fire in an Eau Claire home Sunday afternoon that caused as estimated $5,000 in damage.

The fire at 709 E. Grand Ave. was reported at 3:14 p.m. Crews responding encountered light smoke and discovered smoldering wood in an interior wall and ceiling.

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Faulty wiring causes fire

A manager who was called in to shut down the former Rudd government's home insulation scheme has told an inquiry of the toll it took on the program's staff.

Today is expected to be the final hearing day in Brisbane of the Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program.

Public servant Martin Bowles was shifted from the Defence Department to oversee the scheme's termination in 2010.

He says the program caused so much anxiety in the Environment Department, some staff left their jobs with stress-related conditions.

"Even if we fast-forward into the work I did, there were some pretty stressful circumstances," he said.

"I would suggest people probably also left during my tenure there because of the stress of the circumstances."

Master Electricians Australia chief executive officer Malcolm Richards told the commission today many insulation installers had "near-misses" before the first death linked to the national roll-out.

He told today's hearing he was receiving "several calls a week" from members concerned about safety switches being tripped by installers stapling foil insulation into wiring.

Mr Richards says he was preparing a warning letter for then-environment minister Peter Garrett when Matthew Fuller was electrocuted in 2009.

"I wanted the foil suspended immediately, until it could be sorted out a safe way to reintroduce it," he said.

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Home insulation royal commission: Some program staff left with stress-related conditions

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WICHITA, Kan. -- A home south of Valley Center caught fire Saturday night, causing $100,000 in damage.

The homeowner saw smoke coming from his garage and called 911. When crews arrived, they found a substantial fire inside.

One possible cause fire investigators are looking at is the electrical wiring in the ceiling.

Many times, the electrical wiring in light fixtures gets brittle from the heat of the light bulb and starts to degrade.

Service electrician Richard Brown from Decker Electric says that the wrong wattage bulb can cause failure and fire. "'Make sure that your light socket doesn't show signs of burning, smelling or discoloration in the metal," Brown said, "and use the proper rated lamps in the rated fixtures." That is an indicator that the lighting assembly is overheating and prone to fail.

Electrical outlets can also pose a problem. When an electrical plug is loose in the socket and tends to fall out, that is an indicator that the outlet is going bad. Brown says that when you have to bend the prongs on the plug to keep it from falling out of the outlet, it can cause the electricity to arc when plugged in, which releases heat and can cause a fire.

Each year, FEMA estimates 28,000 house fires are caused by electrical problems, that is 10 percent of all house fires nationwide and around 1,300 people are hurt or killed in these fires.

Brown suggest that you have an electrician inspect your wiring once a year to look for problems stating, "to have a service technician to come out once a year is a lot cheaper than a loss of life or property."

A reminder, never try and put out an electrical fire with water. A fire extinguisher rated Class-C is required, it has the correct chemical composition to put out an electrical fire.

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UPDATE: Valley Center house fire causes $100,000 in damage

Perfect Circuit recently announced the launch of http://www.perfectcircuit.net as an information portal for Somerset County metro homeowners to find information about Electrician and Electrical Repairs solutions. With articles being added almost every day and an online monthly newsletter of home improvement tips, the website is anticipated to quickly become Somerset Countys primary resource website for Electrical Repairs and Electrical Wiring information.

Future plans include educational guides on selecting an Electrical Repairs contractor, professional advice from local Electrician experts, and a question and answer forum for Somerset County homeowners.

Development of other community minded features for http://www.perfectcircuit.net are already underway and new user awareness guides from expert Electrical Repairs Contractors are already being added on how best to beautify your home with any budget, guides on maintenance and repair, to what everybody should know about the latest Electrical Repairs and Electrical Wiring materials and designs before starting any property improvement project.

The website will be an invaluable resource for homeowners in finding accessible information to address their Electrical Repairs , Electrical Wiring and Electrical Troubleshooting needs. Information will be efficiently categorized for easy navigation.

The owner of Perfect Circuit, Ken Bender stated, Our goal is to be the best home and family resource center and information portal for assisting all Somerset County homeowners with their Electrical Repairs needs. The depth of knowledge and resources at http://www.perfectcircuit.net is simple, concise and offers every homeowner some information about their home.

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Somerset County Electrician Contractor Launches Information Portal On Electrical Repairs, Electrical Wiring And ...

Mattresses, bed springs, and clothes sit on the lawn of Laquita's Boarding House, now these homes are shut down.

"The conditions we ran into were deplorable," said Chief John Wiggins with the Bayou La Batre Fire Department.

Chief Wiggins says his department received a 911 call from the residence, "When we got on the scene. One of the staff members was yelling telling them that he did not have authority to call 911. That raised the red flag to our guys."

Three homes are on the property. He says none of them meet standard codes.

"Absolutely no smoke alarms, in any of the structures. no fire extinguishers, exposed wiring in some of the rooms, exit doors locked as well as blocked, steps removed from the mobile home structure so the patients couldn't get out the back."

So the State Fire Marshall was called in.

"We've been here 9 years and no one has ever called or complained," said Abraham Johnson the owner's son.

Johnson calls it a misunderstanding, "When the state came out they were under the assumption that this was a state house. So they went by the state rules and said you can't have this and have that. We let them know it's not a group home it's a boarding home."

The definition of a group home is a home where a small number of unrelated people in need of care, support, or supervision can live together, such as those who are elderly or mentally ill. A boarding home is simply a house providing food and lodging for paying guests.

"I'm sure there's a difference in a boarding home and what she's running. These patients are mentally challenged. I'm not sure where she's getting her funding. I know these patients as she states may be free to come and go but none of them can drive. They are not able to make clear cut decisions. She's being funding through some agency and I think the county needs to step up and find out," the chief said.

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Bayou Fire Chief Shuts Down Boarding Home

by Catherine Holland

Video report by Heidi Goitia

Posted on May 14, 2014 at 7:34 AM

Updated yesterday at 7:40 AM

PHOENIX -- Investigators believe an electrical issue sparked an early morning fire at a Phoenix home Wednesday.

It happened in the neighborhood northwest of 41st Avenue and McDowell Road. Eight crews responded at about 5:30 a.m.

The homeowner was not home when the fire started because the house is undergoing renovations.

While they have not pinpointed the cause yet, investigators said it looks like there might have been a problem with the wiring in the attic.

Because it was a "very active fire" with quite a bit of heavy smoke and flames, crews quickly went defensive.

Firefighters limited the damage to the inside of the home. The external structure is still sound.

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Electrical wiring possibly to blame for house fire in Phoenix