Did I have a fire in my house last night? (1 Viewer)

[Rayderr]

So, last night, were eating dinner and we hear something sounds like a cross between static and scratching. The second time it happens the lights flicker. Odd. But doesn't happen again.

After dinner my wife goes upstairs to get my daughter's bath ready, and she notices that of light fixtures is completely black (flush mount glass dome with ugly brass trim.)

Turn the lights off and reach up to unscrew the glass but the glass is extremely hot. Let it cool for a few minutes and use some work gloves to take the glass off. Inside one of the CFL bulbs looks like it exploded. Not as in shattered glass, but as in kinda looked like when you over heat a potato in the microwave. The glass separated from the base and something clearly had expanded inside of it. Most of the interior of the lamp is black from what appears to be soot. The socket appears partially melted.

Deciding to be on the safe side, I start to dismount the light and the partially melted socket falls off (luckily right into the trashcan. I did learn something here. Those CFL light bulbs that look more like regular light bulbs? It's just the pig tail light bulb with an extra glass layer over it to give it it's new shape.)

So, was there an actual fire or is the soot just from the plastics melting from something overheating. And what would've caused this in the first place?

 

[3C's]

CFLs use a ballast which when it begins to die does heat up. They have circuitry that should prevent it from getting too hot but I suppose that could fail and you get a small fire of sorts. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/august/recalls-and-safety-alerts/bulbs-pose-fire-hazard/index.htm

 

[3C's]

Just doing some reading of do's and don'ts. Don't use them in enclosed fixtures (they need air to prevent overheating), things that vibrate like bathroom light/fan combo or garage door openers, don't use them on dimmers unless they specifically say they can be used there.

 

[Rayderr]

Just doing some reading of do's and don'ts. Don't use them in enclosed fixtures (they need air to prevent overheating), things that vibrate like bathroom light/fan combo or garage door openers, don't use them on dimmers unless they specifically say they can be used there.

That could be it. I'm not really sure if this is a light bulb my wife (she did say that she replaced a bulb)put in or one that was in there when we bought the house as both bulbs were CFL.

Never encountered this before so I was kinda shuked as to what happened. On the plus side, it gives us a reason to finally replace those ugly fixtures.