Electrical Fault Causes House Fire in Phnom Penh

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:06 pm

Phnom Penh: At 10:40 am, on July 7, 2020, a fire engulfed a resident's house in Damnak Thom Village, Stung Meanchey II, Khan Meanchey, Phnom Penh.

The preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was due to faulty electric wiring in the house. Three fire trucks were called to the scene and the fire was extinguished soon afterwards, preventing the spread of the blaze. However, the house interior was severely damaged by fire and water.

RVN67 · Post by **RVN67** » Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:48 pm

Isn't every fire attributed/blamed on an "electrical short" without even a proper fire investigators inquiry even if they ever had one especially the day after or maybe even the day of the incident. Given the expertise of the "technicians" I can see why.

Maybe a cover for arson? I'm amazed (not) as to how fast a new high rise is started immediately after an old building is torched if it's in a desirable location.

I may be treading on sensitive territory here though. But, it's not my intention, just a passing thought.

Jerry Atrick · Post by **Jerry Atrick** » Mon Mar 18, 2024 3:22 pm

RVN67 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:48 pm Isn't every fire attributed/blamed on an "electrical short" without even a proper fire investigators inquiry even if they ever had one especially the day after or maybe even the day of the incident. Given the expertise of the "technicians" I can see why.

Maybe a cover for arson? I'm amazed (not) as to how fast a new high rise is started immediately after an old building is torched if it's in a desirable location.

I may be treading on sensitive territory here though. But, it's not my intention, just a passing thought.

A house I once lived in in PP that often had smoking electrical sockets also burned down earlier this year; several other places we have leased had horrific wiring so I think it's certainly a leading cause of house fires both here in Cambodia and in other nations with stricter electric code enforcement

RVN67 · Post by **RVN67** » Mon Mar 18, 2024 3:46 pm

Also a lack of qualified electricians. I once lived in a fairly new apartment building on St. 136. The lift motor would overheat and it would take 10-15 minutes for it to cool down enough to resume working.

This same building when I would use the outlet near the balcony using an electric grill would cause the breaker to pop when I used the same type appliance/draw at the opposite end of the apartment near the front door. Go figure on that one! The panel had a dozen breakers but I wonder how many were actually connected.