Tuesday, February 24, 2009
GST
TV explodes
– sparks fire
BY ELLIE TURNER
Email: ellie@tbw.com.au
A TELEVISION exploded and
caught fire at Tantanoola early
on Sunday morning.
Sally Telfer was at home alone,
while her husband Ian worked
nightshift, when the small patio
TV was spontaneously reduced
to smelly electrical waste at
1.45am.
Ms Telfer said she had walked
past the television 20 minutes
before it blew up and hadn’t noticed
anything out of the ordinary.
“I went back to bed and then I
heard banging noises and thought
‘what are the animals up to now’,”
she said.
“I got up and could see the glow
of the fire before I even got out to
the pergola and the TV was just
engulfed in flames about a metre
high; I reckon my eyes opened six
feet.
“It was sitting on a beautiful
old wine barrel the kids got Ian
and the top of that was on fire as
well.”
Ms Telfer said she was so
shocked she didn’t know what to
do, then dialled triple zero while
looking for something to put out
the blaze.
“I was on the phone to the bloke
shouting at him a bit and then
remembered the fire extinguisher
KCA gave all its employees a
couple of years ago,” she said.
“I would suggest everyone keeps
a fire extinguisher in their home —
not that you expect something like
this to happen with no warning,
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but evidently it does.”
The Tantanoola CFS volunteers
and ambulance officers attended
the scene, while Millicent Rescue
and SAPOL were stop-called.
The smouldering barrel was
taken outside and properly extin-
guished.
The cause of the fire was not
being investigated. Ms Telfer said
she presumed it had just short-
circuited.
“The TV was only plugged in at
the wall and that switch was on,
but it hadn’t been used for a few
hours,” she said.
Ms Telfer’s sense of humour has
survived the ordeal, however she
said it could have been a lot more
serious had she been asleep.
“I can laugh about it now and
in hindsight it was pretty funny
— me yelling at the man on the
other end of the phone trying to
explain where Tantanoola is and
that no, it’s not called Tantaroola,”
she said.
“It’s scary that a TV can just
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do that though, and people have
those little TVs inside and in kid’s
rooms.
“Just the amount of fire there
was and the smell was amazing;
you can imagine how people
become overwhelmed and panic.
“I think anyone who doesn’t have
smoke detectors in their house is
nuts.”
Exploding televisions are rare,
according to electronics experts
and firefighters.
Gambier Sound and Vision
Repairs electronic technician Paul
Zepiela said he had never heard of
a television catching fire without
being turned on.
“For me it is very hard to believe
it exploded on its own,” Mr Zepiela
said.
“I have never seen it, but I sup-
pose anything is possible.”
However, South East MFS
regional manager George Rodis
said he had heard sporadic reports pEager cooks Madison Fatchen (left), Lewis Stratford and William Crook
of television fires over the years. from Tenison Woods College dish up some delicious pancakes as part of
“Fortunately not in Mount Pancake Day.
Gambier, but it has happened
because most TVs hold an enor-
mous electrical charge,” Mr Rodis
said.
“Even after they are switched off
Charity pancake day
they can have volts going through SOUTH East residents will today children celebrating the day.
them for hours.” offer stacks of help to those in Traditionally known as Shrove
Mr Rodis said he did not want need. Tuesday, Pancake Day marks the
people to think an exploding telly Today marks UnitingCare’s sev- beginning of fasting for the 40 days
was an everyday occurrence, but enth annual Pancake Day, giving a of Lent.
there was a remote possibility it chance to indulge for a cause. During Lent, the Tension Woods
could happen. The Uniting Church will exchange school community will hold a
“It can also be irrelevant whether pancakes for a gold coin donation massive fundraising campaign for
they are switched on or plugged in outside the Gambier Hotel from Caritas Project Compassion by col-
to the wall,” he said. 7.30am to noon. lecting money through fundraising
“There can be a build up of dust Tension Woods College students activities, beginning with Pancake
or a short circuit and the potential will be among many local school Day.
is there for a TV to catch alight.”
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