Bellevue, Washington – Small Fire Caused by Damaged Soda Machine

Bellevue, Washington (April 2, 2019) – The Bellevue Fire Department responded to a small fire caused by a damaged soda machine on 5900 block of 119th Avenue Southeast. There no reported injuries in the incident and the fire was safely contained.

According to the Bellevue Police blotter, the damage to the soda machine was caused by the break-in of unknown suspects around 9 a.m. They broke into two laundry rooms and the soda machine. There has been no further information regarding the suspects.

About Fires

It is fortunate that the fire in this situation remained a small one. Fire caused by electrical means are not at all unusual – electrical causes remain to be one of the top causes for home fires according to the NFPA. Their Electrical Fire Reports to the U.S Fire Department since 2000 estimates around 45,000 to 55,000 cases of home fires being caused by electrical malfunction every year. Annual losses due to electrical fire result in 455 civilian deaths, 1, 500 civilian injuries and 1.5 billion of dollars in direct property damage. From these statistics, the risk from electrical fire is very real and should not be underestimated. As for the accidents themselves, the NFPA lists 63 percent involved wiring and related equipment, 74 percent cited some sort of electrical failure or malfunction, and wire or cable insulation was the first item ignited in 32 percent of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires. While the fire in this case was caused by criminal activities, it would be beneficial to review one’s own fire safety within the home. While we take the role of electricity for granted, one should never forget to use electricity without caution. Apart from the risks like electrocution and electrical burns, the electrical system can also pose a problem to the home itself. Proper identification and handling of electrical problems will be a key in securing fire safety for the home and all those that live in it.

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