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Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

cookclan by cookclan Young Parent(February 2007) (rank 3rd)

I recieved this email tonight and thought the only way to share it would be in advice...As alot of you know my husband is a firefighter and says this is true and could happen...So here is the email...

Received from a friend who is in the property insurance business. It  is well worth reading. This is one of those  e-mails  that if you  didn't send it, rest assured someone on your list will suffer for not reading it. The original message was written by a lady whosebrother and his wife  learned a hard lesson this past week.

Their house burned  down.. ..nothing left but ashes. They have good insurance so the house will ! be replaced and most of the contents. That is the good news.

However, they were sick when they found out the cause of the fire. The insurance investigator sifted through the ashes for several hours. He had  the cause of the fire traced to the master bathroom. He asked her sister-in-law  what she had plugged in the bathroom.

She listed the normal  things....curling iron, blow  dryer. He kept saying to her, "No, this would  be something that would disintegrate at high temperatures". Then her  sister-in-law remembered she had a Glade  Plug-In, in the bathroom.

The investigator had one of those "Aha" moments. He said that was the  cause of the fire. He said he has seen more house fires started with  the  plug-in type room fresheners than anything else. He said the  plastic  they are made from is THIN plastic. He also said that in every  case there was  nothing left to  prove that it even existed.

When the investigator looked in the wall plug, the two prongs left from  the plug-in were still in there. Her sister-in-law had one of  the  plug-ins that had a small night light built in it. She said she  had  noticed that the light would dim and then finally go out. She would  walk  in to the bathroom a few hours later, and the light would be back on again. The investiator said that the unit was getting too hot, and would dim and go! out rather than just blow the light bulb. Once  it cooled down  it would come back on.

That is a warning sign. The investigator said he personally wouldn't  have any type  of plug in fragrance device anywhere in his house.  He has  seen too  many places that have been burned down due to them.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN  YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. NOT ONLY COULD IT SAVE SOMEONE'S  HOUSE, BUT ! IT COULD SAVE SOMEONE'S  LIFE
Take care guys
And have a great day
Cheers
Angie
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loopylisa
February 29th | loopylisa
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

I have plug in air fresheners everywhere in my house and have used them for years. I won't anymore my partner has often said to me about using them, but we have a dog and I can't stand 'doggy whiffs' in the house- I will definately try something else- when I just went around my house, I realised I left one plugged in all night. Good advice.



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AangelMomOf3
5.00 (Excellent) | August 2007 | AangelMomOf3
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...
I am so happy that I found this advice becuz I have one & its a good thing I quite useing it 3 Months ago thanxs for shareing the info.


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jedimonkey
5.00 (Excellent) | August 2007 | jedimonkey
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

This advice is bogus - see http://www.hoax-slayer.com/glade-plug-in-fire.html for more information.  There is a post earlier about this and a website reference, but the website reference states that the actual email is fiction!

Don't believe every email forward you get!



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      llmunchkin
August 2007 | llmunchkin
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...
Yes snopes say the same thing, many emails are - that is why they aren't news headlines instead.

That being said, it does pay to be careful of anything electrical that you have plugged in and switched on for any length of time.


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           cookclan
5.00 (Excellent) | October 2007 | cookclan
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...
Lower in the writing on the page in snopes it also says that investigations were inconclusive....whether they do or don't cause a problem...Any electrical item pluged in and turned on for any long period of time does pose a fire hazard....It can not be guaranteed that this is bogus so your choice I suppose I would not use ANY plug in air freshners I have 8 people in my house and I am not willing to take the risk...Are you?
Cheers
Angie


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      Lunaeclips
5.00 (Excellent) | October 2007 | Lunaeclips
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

Oh no it isnt!!! I had one melt in the socket when they first came out. I noticed it getting warm. I told my partner he said no they test these things and check to see if there safe. I said. Its pretty warm i'll turn it off for a while. The next day when i woke up i turned it on again. For got about it and went to work. When i got hom everything apart from the glass was melted into a horrible mess. A friend of mine has also had this happen. My advice if you are going to use them. Only use them for a few hours and switch them off. I have been in contact with glade and they said they aren't designed to be running 24hours a day and there are appropriate warning labels of this on the pakaging. They gave me a full refund of my money. But what if it had caught fire would they refund the price of my home and contents?? Nope.



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eteachey
5.00 (Excellent) | August 2007 | eteachey
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...
I have never used the things but have always wanted to...Thanks for the info now I never will, you may have saved 5 lives


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OLGAK
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | OLGAK
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

Thanks for this !

I suppose this applies to other plug ins, like mosquito repellants etc?

I find that although we use those at night ,many times we keep forgetting to switch them off and they burn 24hours a day. Boy that's scary.



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violeta
5.00 (Excellent) | July 2007 | violeta
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...
I always felt uneasy about them SO I WAS RIGHT all this time.


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emmie
June 2007 | emmie
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

wow that is scary great advice angie

mwah luv emz x



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missnickley
5.00 (Excellent) | June 2007 | missnickley
Re: Housefires...Got this email and thought it important...

This is acutally the second time I have heard of a fire starting from a plug in.

That is really scary, I wonder why they dont have to come with a safety warning? Or do they and it is just so small no one notices it?



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mom2jedd
5.00 (Excellent) | May 2007 | mom2jedd
thanks a bunch

I don't use them either but boy is that helpful!!!!! I now someone whose sister lost 2 of her children from a toy that they won with tickets at a children's pizza place. It was a disco ball that lighted up at night. It caused alot of smoke and both of the boys in that room died of smoke inhalation before the fire started. Their smoke alarm malfunctioned.

I also teach school and one year we went to the fire station for a field trip and one of the children did not have a smoke alarm at home. He asked his parents why???? He kept pestering them that they needed one and they finally bought one. Why wouldn't you have one, you know????



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sonk
5.00 (Excellent) | May 2007 | sonk
Awesome
Who would have thought that these plug-ins can cause havoc in one's own home. I am getting rid of all that I have and will pass this message on to my friends, family and loves ones. Keep up the good work.


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emalou1980
5.00 (Excellent) | May 2007 | emalou1980
im getting rid of mine NOW
oh my god ive got one of those plugged in now on my stairs im gonna go take it out now thanks for the advice


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Clem9403
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | Clem9403
Thanks!
I use these things often! Thanks for this info! We lost our home 2 years ago, due to one of those scented candle. My wife had one lit on our piano, and when she was walking out the door, she blew it out, and apparently blew too hard and a spark landed on the piano. She didn't see this. A few hours later, she gets a call stating that the house was on fire! So after that, we don't use candles! I buy those plug-ins. I won't use those either!


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pinkninjaprincess
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | pinkninjaprincess
fantastic advice
I will pass the information on regarding plug-ins. Thank you so much.


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mackennasmummy
5.00 (Excellent) | April 2007 | mackennasmummy
i wouldnt have guessed that

omg i used to use one of them but the smell would be too strong so by half way through we would turn it off and eventually chuck it out..

thanks for sharing i will be telling everyone now



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Deborahsc2203
4.50 (Excellent) | April 2007 | Deborahsc2203
i didnt even think of that
thankyou for this article Angie i would of never thought of that ,, i do have one but i dont use it all the time and have always unpugged it and put it away , but i wont even bother now useing them ,, its way better to be safe than sorry


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mommyofone
5.00 (Excellent) | March 2007 | mommyofone
website
There is a great website to tell if emails like this are true, it is

www.truthorfiction.com

When I first received the email I wondered, so I went to the site, and yep, it is true.  Here is what the website says:
The Truth
The main problem with this eRumor is that it's a tragic story with no validating information.
No names, no location, no identification of the fire department.
Whether this particular fire ever took place is impossible to prove.
There have been some rumbles about plug-in air fresheners, however.
WABC-TV reporter Tappy Phillips in New York says she found a couple of house fires in which plug-in air fresheners were suspected, but none of them involved Glade products.
He quotes fire investigator Richard Wolfson who was hired by the insurance company of a homeowner who had experienced a fire.
Wolfson said his conclusion is that the plug-in air freshener was the most likely cause.
Phillips also talked with a homeowner named Karen Myers who says she watched her plug-in air freshener go up in flames.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced in April of 2002 that the SC Johnson company had voluntarily recalled about 2.5 million Glad Extra Outlet Scented Oil Air Fresheners.
That particular model, according to the commission, had been misassembled at the factory and were regarded as a potential fire hazard.
There have not been any reports of fires.

Thanks for posting it here for the people that hadn't received it through email yet!


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      jedimonkey
5.00 (Excellent) | August 2007 | jedimonkey
Re: website

you didn't really read that article well did you? It's regarded as FICTION

Here is more supporting arguments that it's bogus.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/glade-plug-in-fire.html



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exquisite-flower
4.56 (Excellent) | March 2007 | exquisite-flower
Passed on
Thanks for this Angie.  I have never used them either and now I am glad i dont!!!  Prefer old fashioned fresh air to be honest.
Peace
EF.x 


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Kellzacar
5.00 (Excellent) | March 2007 | Kellzacar
Plug ins

Mine are all in the bin!!!!

Cheers



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mum2four
4.05 (Good) | March 2007 | mum2four
fragrance plug in's and fires

I posted a suggstion in the house hold handy hints the other day about just these things fragrance plugins  as I refil them myself with fragrant oil ,I have used them for quite some years  now and my house is still here ,however i will be turning them off at night or when i am out .I always turn them off when i am going away for any length of time .

                                                   Thank-you



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raych
5.00 (Excellent) | March 2007 | raych
THANKS
It just goes to show that when we think we have made our homes as safe as possible, there are always hidden dangers lurking. I have emailed this to all in my address book. Great valuable info. Thanks.


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mumof1girl
4.82 (Excellent) | February 2007 | mumof1girl
Plug in's and fires

 

I have had this email also, but months ago, and i have passed this email on to everyone on my msn list and i have received it so many times and passed it on so many times, and that's totally put me off having plug ins and anything else like that around the house. Thankyou for the great warning though. there would be alot of people who wouldn't of got this email.



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youngmumof2
5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | youngmumof2
Thanks.
I have just gone through my house and pulled mine out. To scary to risk. Thanks for letting us know.


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nell18-3
4.73 (Excellent) | February 2007 | nell18-3
Wow
How would have thought that!!!!
I don't use them myself but my Mum does
Best make a call......
thanks Angie
xxx


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Wendigo
5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | Wendigo
I've never seen the point...
of using - and paying for - electricity to make a room smell pretty when a cheaper sit on the shelf air-fresheners work just as well.  Besides, I'd rather open all the windows and smell fresh air than a chemical perfume anyday!


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Tink1976
5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | Tink1976
Thanks for the heads up.

I was thinking of buying some of these just the other day to put in my hallway (where all of the doors to every room lead off!) Fortunately I thought they were a bit expensive so decided against it, but after reading your advice I will not be buying them at all and I will forward your advice on.

Thank you Tink x



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allyp
5.00 (Excellent) | February 2007 | allyp
I do not use them because of this

I remember getting an email like this years ago(my mother in law sent it to me). That is why I do not use plug ins to make my house smell a little nicer. I use the ones you can light and put them on a table or something.

Thank you sooo much for informing other parents out there or people for that matter to be ware when they have things like those plugged in.



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