Act now
Emergency: get out and call 911
Smoke or flames from an outlet is a fire. Get everyone out, stay out, and call 911.
Why this happens
The Red Cross's rule is to get out, stay out and call 911. NFPA estimates an annual average of 46,652 home electrical fires in 2020 to 2024, and fires between midnight and 8 a.m. accounted for 52% of deaths. NFPA says the risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.
Do this now
- Get everyone out of the house now. Do not stop to collect things.
- Call 911 from outside.
- Do not open a door that is warm to the touch. If smoke traps you, stay in a room with the door closed, put a wet towel under it, call 911 and signal from a window.
- Do not go back inside.
What to tell the licensed electrician
- Which outlet it came from and what was plugged in.
- What you saw or smelled before the smoke appeared.
Build the full list: what to tell the licensed electrician.
Start this troubleshooter over
References (every fact above comes from one of these pages)
Vent, Valve & Volt is published by the team behind FourHome. Browse all FourHome replacement faucet and shower parts on the FourHome Amazon store.