Couple escapes house fire, dogs killed: smart meter blamed

by K.T. Weaver, for Take Back Your Power

Investigators now admit the smart meter “may have played a role in the fire.”

A couple barely escaped a house fire with their lives in Detroit, Michigan, early Sunday morning, October 5th, 2014.  Sadly, their two dogs were killed in the blaze.

The homeowner blames the recently installed “smart” meter for the fire.

“It was DTE… why my dogs are dead, why my family is ruined, why I have no house, why I have nothing.”

Investigators from Detroit’s Fire Department say two circuit boxes were connected to the “smart” meter outside the house and one of them blew, but it wasn’t immediately clear to investigators whether the smart meter was the cause of the fire.

However, investigators confirmed on October 7^th that the “smart” meter “may have played a role in the fire.”

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/clip/10658985/family-believes-smart-meter-started-fire
(please be patient while video loads)

For any specific fire, it can be difficult to determine if the cause of the fire is the “smart” meter even if the meter is located at or near the origin of the fire.  What is disconcerting, however, is how quickly the utility company will dismiss a “smart” meter as the cause of a fire even when fire department investigators will simply state that the cause is “undetermined.”

In this case, it appears that the “smart” meter on the burned home in Detroit was manufactured by Itron.

There is no word yet about forthcoming legal action against DTE by the homeowner.

Updated information: October 7, 2014

As initially reported by a local Detroit TV station, a house fire occurred where the homeowner blamed a “smart” meter for the death of his two dogs and the loss of his home.  Fire investigators confirmed on October 7^th that the “smart” meter “may have played a role in the fire”.

However, investigators also found evidence of a legal marijuana growing operation in the basement of the home.  Additional circuits may have been added for this grow operation which were not properly installed by an electrician.  This possible evidence needs to be considered as part of the full fire investigation, but it is hoped it does not unduly allow the utility to deflect responsibility for this failure and the resulting harm — like so many other utilities have.

About the Author

K.T. Weaver is a health physicist who was employed in the nuclear division of a leading electric utility for over 25 years.  He served in various positions, including Station Health Physicist, Senior Health Physicist, corporate Health Physics Supervisor, and corporate Senior Technical Expert for Radiobiological Effects.  K.T. has earned a B.S. in Engineering Physics and an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering with a specialty in radiation protection.  He operates the “SkyVision Solutions” website at www.skyvisionsolutions.org