Abstract
Short circuit and ground fault account for the primary causes of electrical fires. In this research, real-scale experiments were conducted to assess the possibility of electrical fires due to these causes. The experiment conditions were identical with an actual fire accident, in which the power cable was supported by an iron fence. The purposes of this research are to investigate the short circuit caused by wire cutting, the conductivity of the iron fence depending on its coating conditions, and the ground fault of one wire or two wires in an effort to reconstruct the fire accident. The test results show that, owing to the instant operation of circuit breaker in the moment of short circuit or ground fault, the generated ignition energy is far less than necessary to start an ignition. Therefore it is concluded that electrical fire is highly unlikely if the electric system is protected by a circuit breaker with normal functions.
