I was notified that a transformer had ignited Nov. 17 in Bldg. 235 on Rhine Ordnance Barracks.
The fire crew from Fire Station No. 9 responded, and the transformer was removed from the building. No damage to the building was noted.
When I arrived, I took pictures of the transformer and saw the fuse was still in its place. After removing the fuse from the appliance, I noted that the fuse was wrapped in aluminum foil. Usually, this is done to bridge a fuse that tends to pop. I am sure this bridged fuse was the reason for the fire.
The fuse is supposed to limit the flow of electrical power so that no overloading can occur. If the fuse is bridged, like in this transformer, it allows an almost unlimited flow of electrical power. This will eventually overload the transformer and cause a fire because the overloaded transformer will overheat.
Fortunately, the transformer was not surrounded by furniture or other combustible material. Soldiers in the area reacted fast and de-energized the appliance by pulling the plug from the wall outlet, so the fire was limited to the transformer itself.
But under other circumstances this could have turned into a fatal incident. Such unsafe handling of electrical appliances is a common threat to our communities as the transformer fire in the Pulaski Dental Clinic in July 2008 proved. This fire caused about $40 damage and ceased operations in the clinic for about three weeks.
It’s important for everyone to understand that they should never mess around with electrical appliances.
Fuses are a necessary safety precaution. Bypassing or “bridging” fuses can cause overheating of electrical appliances and lead to fatalities.
(Klaus Kueppers is a fire protection inspector with U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s Directorate of Emergency Services Fire and Emergency Services Fire Station No. 6 in East Kaiserslautern.)
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News for the Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl & Baumholder military communities in Germany 
I was notified that a transformer had ignited Nov. 17 in Bldg. 235 on Rhine Ordnance Barracks.
The fire crew from Fire Station No. 9 responded, and the transformer was removed from the building. No damage to the building was noted.
When I arrived, I took pictures of the transformer and saw the fuse was still in its place. After removing the fuse from the appliance, I noted that the fuse was wrapped in aluminum foil. Usually, this is done to bridge a fuse that tends to pop. I am sure this bridged fuse was the reason for the fire.
The fuse is supposed to limit the flow of electrical power so that no overloading can occur. If the fuse is bridged, like in this transformer, it allows an almost unlimited flow of electrical power. This will eventually overload the transformer and cause a fire because the overloaded transformer will overheat.
Fortunately, the transformer was not surrounded by furniture or other combustible material. Soldiers in the area reacted fast and de-energized the appliance by pulling the plug from the wall outlet, so the fire was limited to the transformer itself.
But under other circumstances this could have turned into a fatal incident. Such unsafe handling of electrical appliances is a common threat to our communities as the transformer fire in the Pulaski Dental Clinic in July 2008 proved. This fire caused about $40 damage and ceased operations in the clinic for about three weeks.
It’s important for everyone to understand that they should never mess around with electrical appliances.
Fuses are a necessary safety precaution. Bypassing or “bridging” fuses can cause overheating of electrical appliances and lead to fatalities.
(Klaus Kueppers is a fire protection inspector with U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s Directorate of Emergency Services Fire and Emergency Services Fire Station No. 6 in East Kaiserslautern.)