That's what happened last weekend here in Scarborough, when 14 month old Shamar Glasgow was killed inside his apartment. Investigators have not found the cause of the fire but an electrical malfunction is one theory, since family members report seeing sparks after pulling a vacuum cleaner from a wall socket.
Electrical problems are a common cause of house fires and they're substantially preventable.
Most consumers aren't aware of it, but there's a small device you can install in your home right now, that may reduce the risk of fire. Robert Conway of Cutler-Hammer Canada said, What you're buying with the AFCI technology is really safety beyond what normal breakers or fuse technology supplies you today. Steve Boccadoro also of Cutler-Hammer Canada said, You're buying peace of mind, essentially. The company that developed the AFCI gives Consumer Smart a demonstration in their training lab. She makes a small cut in the wiring to represent electrical wiring damage a consumer would never see.