Author Topic: Unusual Cause of a fire  (Read 24676 times)

Offline SamFIRT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 382
  • Looking for the truth
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2012, 07:21:12 AM »
Nearleythere.

Can you please tell me how by applying first scientific principles of: observation of all the available evidence, formulation of possible hypotheses and elimination based on that evidence; rather than making erroneous assumptions, based on myth and flawed opinion, is being a member of a flat earth society?

 >:( ::) :'(
« Last Edit: November 23, 2012, 07:22:47 AM by SamFIRT »
Sam

Offline Phoenix

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 677
  • Get a bicycle. You will not live to regret it
    • MetaSolutions (Fire Safety Engineering) Ltd.
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #16 on: November 23, 2012, 12:08:33 PM »
They don't come much more sceptical than me but I went to a fire, quite a few years ago now, that we concluded started due to sunlight being focussed by a thick glass ornament onto curtains.  When we looked at the evidence, there was absolutely no alternative cause of fire (no electrics, no smokers, no one in the room, no motives, etc.), the pattern of damage was completely consistent with the fire having started in the curtains, the ornament was still there still focussing the rays of sunlight to a point where the curtains would have been hanging, the curtain material was considered to be ignitable by this source.

As Sherlock would have it,  "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"

And think of this.  If the probability of this happening is, for example, one in a million (in a given period) then we only need glass ornaments on one million south facing window sills (out of the 30 million households in the UK) to make the occurrence what we would call 'expected' within the given period.  That is to say, we should be surprised if it doesn't happen!

Stu



« Last Edit: November 23, 2012, 12:10:13 PM by Phoenix »

Offline SamFIRT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 382
  • Looking for the truth
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #17 on: November 23, 2012, 03:49:35 PM »
Quote
How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth

Exactly .

Observation hypothesis and elimination........ based on scientific principles.  8)
Sam

Offline Clevelandfire 3

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 566
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2012, 06:52:50 PM »
would never up in cleveland we dont get enough sun

Offline SamFIRT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 382
  • Looking for the truth
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #19 on: November 23, 2012, 11:56:30 PM »
Do you have to read other newsprint then? ;D
Sam

Offline Mr. P

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 685
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #20 on: November 26, 2012, 10:39:01 AM »
What about electrical tracking? Yes possible but, how many times have you guys seen it or put it as 'raison d'ignition'?

Offline SamFIRT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 382
  • Looking for the truth
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #21 on: November 26, 2012, 05:06:55 PM »
Different subject surely.  :D But once for certain.

Mostly electrical fires are caused by high resistance faults .... in my experience. But there have been some in-line arcing and cross conductor arcing incidents I have seen.
Sam

Offline Mike Buckley

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1045
Re: Unusual Cause of a fire
« Reply #22 on: March 07, 2014, 12:59:30 PM »
The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to those who think they've found it.