Fire Cause Found - MUST READ!!!!!!!!

[burner]

I had posted this under the original topic FIRE!, but wanted to put it under a new topic.  Everyone needs to read this, make sure you don't have the same potential problem.  

Well, the club had our New Year's party, our Racing Fleet Captain and I were talking about my fire that night. I knew he was a fireman, but didn't know he was a fire investigator. He asked if he could go look - he was really interested in learning what happened. New Year's morning, we donned our disposable coveralls, latex gloves and boarded Suzie-Q. He spent quite a bit of time looking over the electrical panel, following the trail to the origin. Finally he said, "I found where it started!". Behind the electrical panel he pointed out a block of wood mounted to the hull with a small piece of metal that remained stuck to it. On that piece of metal were three wires literally welded to it. He then pointed out the melted metal that had dripped down onto the hull, which was very near where the large harness comes up to the electrical panel. For a while, I couldn't figure out what the block of wood was - then it came to me. It was one of the red lights behind the electrical panel that backlights it. It appears that it was factory wiring - we were getting real ready to get off the boat by now - but the wiring must have been routed over the top of that light. The theory is that the insulation had been chafing for all these years until it finally grounded against the bulb's base, welding all these wires together. The flash that occured along with the melted metal falling into the harness began the process. Get behind your panels, take a look at this and correct if you've got the same situation. Something I've learned about an electrical fire - the corrosives that are in the smoke attacks every piece of metal instantly. The sink is already mostly rusted - all brass and stainless steel is already pitted and turning green. My surveyor said that every single piece of metal inside the interior would have to be replaced if it was rebuilt. Again, take a look behind your panels - I don't know what years will be similiar, mine is a 1988 model. Funny, I replaced the engine wiring last summer as reccommended by this board. When my surveyor said that the engine wiring looked to be brand new, I said, "It is, I replaced it this summer because of a danger of fire." To which he replied, "isn't that ironic". Anyway, thanks everyone for the kind words, I'll make a final posting with the results of the insurance's decision. At this point, I think it's pretty well wrapped up, but you never know. By the way, so far - I am thoroughly impressed with Boat U.S. They've called me almost daily informing me of the process. I've never been treated that way by an insurance company. And by the way, I'm tenatively in the market for a late model Catalina 36 MK II if anyone knows of a bargain in the southeastern part of the US!

[burner]

Two out of three - AC was on, DC was on, but the panel light switch was not on.  The base of that light has a metal mounting panel that is grounded.  A hot wire - DC - finally chaffed through, got the hot against that solid ground and we had an intense flash - the breaker or fuse very likely blew at that point, but the molten metal and intense flash was the beginning of the end.  Sort of like putting a match to paper - once it's lit, you can throw that match away - the fire's on it's way....