On wyff4.com, The landfall of Hurricane Isaias sparked a series of house fires and flooding in Ocean

[raccoon]

Isle (NC).

The flooding I get, why the house fires?

[Mike 03]

1. Just a guess, but the water might cause appliances and electrical

circuits to short out? I remember hearing advice that during flooding one should unplug things, but I can't recall where I heard this. Or maybe the high winds are causing power lines to arc, throwing sparks or causing the wires to fall onto the roofs of houses, etc...

I'm curious too, though. Maybe someone else knows.

[essme]

2. Candles, smoking, cooking on grills, lightning

electrical surges.

[unc70]

3. They usually turn power off to the barrier islands

Could be lightning; had a lot of fires caused by that here recently. Or could be some fool with candles or a propane generator or ....

[jpak]

4. Broken propane lines?

[Jim__]

5. Here's a generic article on hurricanes causing house fires

From The State:

When a hurricane hits, there is often more concern about protecting a house from wind damage or flooding than saving it from a fire.

But should the storm cause a power outage, there are items that people turn to in an effort to provide light, warmth, energy and more. Used properly, items like candles, fireplaces, generators and cooking equipment can be tremendous assets.

Unfortunately, they can also cause fires that inflict pain and damage beyond the hurricane’s impact.

“During a hurricane, power outages are anticipated and I want to remind everyone the use of candles and portable generators can pose additional hazards,” South Carolina Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones said in a news release.

...

[uncle ray]

6. sometimes homes with no flood insurance mysteriously catch fire.

[raccoon]

7. Oh, yeah, funny how that happens. Nt