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Events That Cause Power Surges

Lightning
With each passing storm, static electrical currents discharge from cloud to cloud, or between a cloud and the earth. Lightning generally strikes higher points away from ground level such as roof tops, trees, buildings, towers, power lines and utility poles. There are 18 points of lightning entry into electrical systems wiring, phones and cable TV.

Trees
Tree roots growing near buildings can induce lightning discharge surges into electrical systems. Other targets are plumbing vents, water/gas pipes, underground and overhead power lines.

Broken Tree Limbs
One of the leading causes of power surges are tree branches falling on power lines.

Car Accidents
Motor vehicles frequently collide with utility poles that induce power surges from damaged transformers.

Equipment Failure
Like all mechanical devices, power company transformers and electrical cables can fail. Age, storms, weather deterioration, mechanical error and underground excavation are factors.

Animals
Animals can often short out electrical equipment.

According to research, the temperature of a lightning bolt can reach 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But few studies show how the indirect effects of lightning surges can result in collateral damage in electrical system wiring or cause appliance latent defects.

What We Know…

From an initial lightning strike, to day, months or even years after an event, a dangerous fire scenario known as carbon arc tracking can develop on wood surfaces from a breached wire contacting an electrified nail, screw, etc. The technical term used to describe this scenario is known as an arc fault / ground fault condition. Known to fire officials as pyrophoric carbonization, this phenomena can create an organic change in wood surface composition. As the carbonized wood turns to charcoal, a burn path prepares two heated surfaces for fire-ignition.