The Border Watch: February 24, 2009

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

KEEPING THE SOUTH EAST INFORMED SINCE 1861

$1.00 inc. GST

SPORT

LIFTOUT INSIDE SIDE TODAY

CRICKET FINALS DECIDED

YOUR LOCAL CAR BUYING GUIDE

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INSIDE TOMORROW: TV WATCH – SEVEN DAY TELEVISION GUIDE LIFTOUT

TV explodes – sparks fire BY ELLIE TURNER

Email: [email protected]

A TELEVISION exploded and caught fire at Tantanoola early on Sunday morning. Sally Telfer was at home alone, while her husband Ian worked nightshift, when the small patio TV was spontaneously reduced to smelly electrical waste at 1.45am. Ms Telfer said she had walked past the television 20 minutes before it blew up and hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. “I went back to bed and then I heard banging noises and thought ‘what are the animals up to now’,” she said. “I got up and could see the glow of the fire before I even got out to the pergola and the TV was just engulfed in flames about a metre high; I reckon my eyes opened six feet. “It was sitting on a beautiful old wine barrel the kids got Ian and the top of that was on fire as well.” Ms Telfer said she was so shocked she didn’t know what to do, then dialled triple zero while looking for something to put out the blaze. “I was on the phone to the bloke shouting at him a bit and then remembered the fire extinguisher KCA gave all its employees a couple of years ago,” she said. “I would suggest everyone keeps a fire extinguisher in their home — not that you expect something like this to happen with no warning,

WEATHER

but evidently it does.” The Tantanoola CFS volunteers and ambulance officers attended the scene, while Millicent Rescue and SAPOL were stop-called. The smouldering barrel was taken outside and properly extinguished. The cause of the fire was not being investigated. Ms Telfer said she presumed it had just shortcircuited. “The TV was only plugged in at the wall and that switch was on, but it hadn’t been used for a few hours,” she said. Ms Telfer’s sense of humour has survived the ordeal, however she said it could have been a lot more serious had she been asleep. “I can laugh about it now and in hindsight it was pretty funny — me yelling at the man on the other end of the phone trying to explain where Tantanoola is and that no, it’s not called Tantaroola,” she said. “It’s scary that a TV can just

do that though, and people have those little TVs inside and in kid’s rooms. “Just the amount of fire there was and the smell was amazing; you can imagine how people become overwhelmed and panic. “I think anyone who doesn’t have smoke detectors in their house is nuts.” Exploding televisions are rare, according to electronics experts and firefighters. Gambier Sound and Vision Repairs electronic technician Paul Zepiela said he had never heard of a television catching fire without being turned on. “For me it is very hard to believe it exploded on its own,” Mr Zepiela said. “I have never seen it, but I suppose anything is possible.” However, South East MFS regional manager George Rodis said he had heard sporadic reports of television fires over the years. “Fortunately not in Mount Gambier, but it has happened because most TVs hold an enormous electrical charge,” Mr Rodis said. “Even after they are switched off they can have volts going through them for hours.” Mr Rodis said he did not want people to think an exploding telly was an everyday occurrence, but there was a remote possibility it could happen. “It can also be irrelevant whether they are switched on or plugged in to the wall,” he said. “There can be a build up of dust or a short circuit and the potential is there for a TV to catch alight.”

Mount Gambier Today - Fine. Partly cloudy. 23o – full report page 23

TV GUIDE

pEager cooks Madison Fatchen (left), Lewis Stratford and William Crook from Tenison Woods College dish up some delicious pancakes as part of Pancake Day.

Charity pancake day SOUTH East residents will today offer stacks of help to those in need. Today marks UnitingCare’s seventh annual Pancake Day, giving a chance to indulge for a cause. The Uniting Church will exchange pancakes for a gold coin donation outside the Gambier Hotel from 7.30am to noon. Tension Woods College students will be among many local school

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COMICS

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children celebrating the day. Traditionally known as Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day marks the beginning of fasting for the 40 days of Lent. During Lent, the Tension Woods school community will hold a massive fundraising campaign for Caritas Project Compassion by collecting money through fundraising activities, beginning with Pancake Day.

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