Any Electricians or Firemen out there? Question RE: Fire on Star

[pcboston]

Not sure if I am being a foolish old woman here or just a curious one, so no one get angry please. I have just been wondering about the possibility of overheated air conditioning causing the fire. Last summer, we had some very hot and humid weather and there were a few house fires that it was determined were caused by wiring that had overheated. I have seen people on some of the boards recommending that if you have a balcony, you should bring a bungee cord with you so you can leave the door open and hear the sound of the waves as you sleep. Now, wouldn't that cause the air conditioning to struggle to cool the room and maybe overheat? Then with doors open, fire could spread very rapidly. I have just found it so hard to believe that as windy as it is on balconies and decks, that a cigarette could stay in one place long enough to ignite anything and also spread so very fast. I do hope, like everyone else, that they can determine the true cause of it and I feel very bad for all those passengers who had to go through it. Princess has proved once again, though, what a wonderful cruiseline they are by the way this was handled. Happy sails....

[ISLAND MAN]

The fires you reference due to wires being over heated are not related to how hot it is outside or how hard the A/C was running. If wiring has a loose connection, it creates additional heat on the wiring connection. This condition can cause a fire. As long as the connections are good, it doesn't matter how hot it is outside. You can run your air conditioning 24/7 (if you can afford it) without worry.

[Larry502]

Also each cabin does not have a AC unit. The ship has a central cooler system and each room has just a heat exchanger/ fan unit. Home ac units should be check each year to make sure the wiring to the disconnect or outlet that it is plugged into is tight. This goes double if you have aluminun wiring.

[pcboston]

Hey, thanks guys for the explanations. I sure hope they get to the bottom of the fire, but I'm betting it will take a long time before we hear anything about the cause, if ever.