Fire problems in electrical equipment

More often than not, electrical equipment is implicated when it comes to attributing a cause to a fire of unknown origin. Is this justified, and if so, why?

As we'll see in this article, operating electrical equipment can indeed be the cause of fires, through a variety of mechanisms. But it's worth pointing out that this kind of accident can only occur when the equipment doesn't comply with standards or regulations, or when it's misused or connected to a non-compliant network.

If this is not the case, the scapegoating of electrical equipment is unjustified.

It is undoubtedly to combat this reputation that, over the last few decades, electrical standardization and regulations have been introduced, leading to the Europeanization and even globalization of standards - quite exemplary, if we compare the electrical sector with many other fields involving fire. That's why we thought it a good idea to devote an article to this subject. We will deliberately restrict ourselves to those aspects which are really specific to electrical equipment. Electrical equipment can be involved in a fire in two ways:

• on the one hand, by its ability, when certain conditions are met, to generate a fire. In this case, the material can be described as the source of the fire;

• on the other hand, in many other cases, electrical equipment is the victim of a fire caused by an external source. In most cases, electrical equipment is no more vulnerable to fire than any other material or construction element, provided the materials used are correctly selected. However, we should mention the special case of cables which, in certain industrial installations, run over long distances and which, although generally only the victims of external sources, can become propagating elements whose role can then be fundamental.

In what follows, we first provide a brief reminder of the physical phenomena that can be the cause of a fire, and show how they come together to make an electrical object the original source of fire. We then look at how, from such a source, fire can develop. A special analysis is devoted to the various consequences that can result from a fire once it has reached its maximum importance.

Based on these elements, we examine the various standardized tests in the electrical field, first in a general way, then according to the type of equipment, tests whose common aim is to minimize risks. A brief incursion into standardization outside the electrical field allows us to appreciate the numerous coordinations that exist between the different fields.

This standardization aspect will be combined with French and...