Fires

accidents

Best Buy In Illinois Catches Fire, Then Floods

A fire broke out in a Best Buy in Quincy, Illinois, over the weekend, and although the sprinkler system put it out promptly, it flooded the entire store in an inch and a half of water. The store manager told the local news station that it would take a few days to clean up and restock inventory—but we prefer to imagine that there's going to be an awful lot of CompUSA-style "AS IS" deals in the Quincy Best Buy very soon. More »

11:22 PM on Mon Mar 3 2008
By Chris Walters
4,872 views, 49 comments

Latest by dweebster: @WayneB: Hell, those things are BULLETproof. Many a serious wound has been created attempting to get to the goodies inside more »

tsa

No More Loose Non-Rechargable Lithium Batteries In Checked Luggage

The TSA has announced a ban on loose non-rechargeable lithium batteries in checked luggage, because they've realized that "fire-protection systems in the cargo hold of passenger planes can't put out fires sparked in lithium batteries." More »

1:58 PM on Sat Dec 29 2007
By Meg Marco
6,857 views, 50 comments

customer service

Verizon FiOS Sets Another House On Fire

UPDATE: $1800 For FiOS House Fire Family Is Just An Advance, Says Verizon

A Philly family is the latest to have their house set on fire after Verizon FiOs installers drilled through their electrical line. The Sammlers says the smoke from the fire and chemicals used to fight it ruined all their possessions, $58,000 worth. Verizon has offered the family $1,800. What will the Verizon Policy Blog have to say about this incident? Probably something along the lines of, "while the smoke at the Sammler house may be gone, the desire of customers still clamoring for the blazing hot speeds of FiOS is yet to be quenched!"

Warrington couple sues Verizon over fire [The Intelligencer via Network World]

PREVIOUSLY:
Verizon FiOs Install Results In Gas Line Breach
Verizon Spins Causing Electrical Fire During FiOs Install Into Sales Pitch
Verizon Techs Blow Out AP Reporter's Electrical Box During Installation
Verizon Continues Weird, Pointless Flame War With Networkworld Blogger
(Photo: davidbivins)

12:05 PM on Tue Nov 6 2007
By Ben Popken
48,466 views, 31 comments

don't you wanna know how we keep starting fires?

iPod Lights Your Pants On Fire, Not In A Good Way

"So I look down and I see flames coming up to my chest," said Danny Williams. His iPod Nano, and subsequently, his pants, were on fire. More »

12:13 PM on Fri Oct 5 2007
By Meg Marco
4,033 views, 28 comments

show us your verizon face

Verizon: There Was No Fire. Fire Department: Yes, There Was A Fire.

We're feeling philosophical this morning after being confronted with two very different accounts of what went on at a small house on Pine Grove Street in Needham, Mass. Was there a fire? Was there not a fire? What is the definition of fire, anyway? More »

10:48 AM on Tue Aug 14 2007
By Meg Marco
7,393 views, 26 comments

Latest by Youthier: @Candyman: Yeah but Verizon claims no smoke. That seems suspicious to me. My brother's house was "on fire" this year more »

venmar

Recalls: Faulty Ventilator Motor May Burn Your House Down

Venmar is recalling 75,000 heat recovery ventilators manufactured between 1991 and 2001. The ventilators, designed to bring fresh air into a home, contain a motor that can overheat and catch fire. Four motors have already caught fire, with one in Michigan causing $1 million in damage. More »

2:55 PM on Sat Mar 31 2007
By Carey
876 views, 2 comments

Latest by wentworth: Have had venmar unit since 1995, bought with the house. Outside of motor unit said lubrication not required. more »

fires

Smokey Bear Says 5-Light Multi-colored Floor Lamps Cause Campus Fires

SUNY Fredonia warns a cheap decorative lamp is setting dorm rooms on fire. Pretty, inexpensive lamps like these can often be found in college dorms and studio apartments.

In two separate student rooms, the plastic shades melted on the lamps. In one room, this caused the build-up of toxic fumes and the melted plastic from the shade burned a hole in the bedspread. The second instance involved another student who had turned on the lamp and, within 15 minutes, the shade melted and the heat began to turn a poster on the wall brown.

Underwriters Laboratories, the group that certifies that things won't burn down dorms and studio apartments, believes the lamp in question is different from the one they approved. They are withholding their seal from new lamps, effectively shutting down production. More »

5:14 PM on Thu Feb 22 2007
By Carey
1,949 views, 17 comments

Latest by orielbean: The lamp has 5 flexible gooseneck heads on it, with a different-colored shade for each head. I got a nice more »

sony

Sony Sorta Sorry For Flaming Batteries

"We are sorry for the offense caused by the battery recall..." More »

batteries

No, Dell Ain't Charging For Replacement Batteries

Contrary to the vituperations of Lowell G, Dell is not charging people for swapping out their exploding batteries. More »

10:59 AM on Wed Oct 18 2006
By Ben Popken
104 views, 2 comments

dell

Dell Charging Users For Recalled Exploding Laptop Batteries?

UPDATE: No, they're not. More »

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