Telephone Ring Could Cause Explosion

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29866, 5 July 1962, Page 16

Telephone Ring Could Cause Explosion

WELLINGTON, July 4. The ringing of a telephone may have been enough to cause an explosion and fire in an Auckland home where the carpet was being treated with silicone, the Internal Affairs Department’s chief inspector of explosives (Mr E. L. Sellen) said today. He warned that silicone carpet treatments could cause very serio’us fire danger if an inflammable solvent was used. The Internal Affairs Department’s annual report for the year ended March 31, notes two house fires which resulted from silicone treatment of carpets. “In both cases a highly inflammable solvent was used, and in one case, it is believed that the ringing of a telephone was the cause of ignition,” the report said. Mr Sellen said that silicone was a material used in wax polishes to give a bright

(New Zealand Press Association)

shine and water repellent properties. It was used to add anti-soil qualities to carpets to preserve their brightness. “The important point in these two cases of fire is that a highly inflammable petroleum spirit base was used as a solvent for the silicone. This was sprayed over the carpet. “The spraying increased evaporation, and helped to put a lot of inliammaoie vapour in the air.” After the carpet had been treated, the house was shut up to let it dry out. “I do not know if there was proper ventilation—probably not. “Vapour was evidently present in explosive concentrations, an explosion occurred, and a fire started. “The means of ignition is not certain. All it needed was a spark of sufficient energy —and there is of course an electric spark involved in the ringing of a telephone. “I would regard anything capable of producing a spark as suspect. “A refrigerator, for example. could perhaps cause such an explosion when the motor started,” said Mr Sellen.