Comments for Verizon Sets Fire To Your Home

Verizon Sets Fire To Your Home

2007-08-10T21:49:41Z

What's worse than Verizon not showing up for you appointment? Verizon techs showing up for you appointment, only to set fire to your home.

On Aug. 8, a Verizon tech lit fire to the home of one Patrick O'Malley after drilling into the electrical wiring of his house. The fire caused a small power outage in Needham, Mass., a suburb of Boston.

"I noticed my TV was flickering off and on, something was wrong," said Thelma Papetti, who lives next door to the fire at 60 Pine Grove St. "Then the fire trucks came."

Paul McNamara at Network World's buzzblog investigated further:

Needham Deputy Fire Chief Al Deiulio tells me that the Verizon technician "was drilling on the outside of the house when he hit an electrical main" and started the fire.

"He's lucky he's not dead," says Deiulio.

The damage to the house was minor, but it'll be a few more days before they can return. Wherever the O'Malleys are, we're sure they have a serious case of "Verizon Face."

No word on when their next appointment will be!

We'd like to take this moment to remind you to submit your "Verizon Face" to the Consumerist Flickr Pool. Tag your photo "Verizon Face."

Verizon tech sets fire to home -- accidentally [Networkworld]

(Photo:Getty)

Comment from racermd on 2007-08-14

2007-08-15T01:58:26Z

Good battery-operated power tools have interface areas (like a handle) that are insulated from the working parts (like a drill bit/chuck). That's probably why the installer wasn't crisp-ified when he hit power mains.

As a former (and never again) cable tv installer, I was always aware of where power *might* be by examining power outlets near the installation point. As a result, I could adjust my drilling around possible power runs.

Also, it's generally safer to drill from the inside of the house outward than the other way around (for the outlet concerns mentioned above). The only general exception is when you have certain types of siding (but only to prevent damage to the siding) or when there are appliances or service boxes hanging on the side of the house.

Comment from Papa Midnight on 2007-08-12

2007-08-12T07:12:06Z

Well, atleast its not as bad as the Comcast tech who destroyed that one guy's computer equipment by plugging in a cable line into a power line...

Comment from mikeluisortega on 2007-08-11

2007-08-11T06:45:39Z

When I saw the pic of matches, I imagined the Verizon guy lighting up a cigarette after sliding out of his van taking a deep puff and then flicking the cigarette at the house, instantly starting it a flame.

Comment from Grrrrrrr, portrait of a chickenwolfmoosepig. on 2007-08-11

2007-08-11T06:05:07Z

"The Verizon guy was a wicked retahd and caught my house on fiyah, and I couldn't even finish watching the sawks! The powah begins to flickah, and then bam...it's all dawk."

Nice job drilling through the service entrance cable, dude. I nominate a Darwin award!

Comment from tvh2k on 2007-08-10

2007-08-11T00:03:12Z

Funny because I was worried about the same thing when my Verizon FIOS tech was drilling randomly through our external walls. They take nearly 8 hours for an install, what's another 10 minutes to check if there are electrical wires in the wall?

Comment from acambras on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T23:36:14Z

@acambras:

Oops - I see the O'Malleys' name in the article now.

I do like Nakko's idea -- very Fahrenheit 451.

Comment from m.ravian on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:33:59Z

@Scazza:
i heart misplaced modifiers. :)

Comment from acambras on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:31:42Z

@meghannmarco:

What's the O'Malleys?

Comment from Meg Marco on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:16:57Z

@acambras: Matches are a place holder for the eventual Verizon Face submission. Feel free to track the O'Malleys down for us.

Comment from Nakko on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:16:01Z

@acambras: Yeah, a photoshop of the Verizon Guy wielding a flamethrower would have been way cooler. (And nobody would have taken it seriously.)

Comment from acambras on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:09:46Z

Not to nitpick, but when you use a photo of a book of matches on this post, you seem to imply that the Verizon guy committed arson.

Comment from MalichiDemonos on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:04:11Z

Nice : )
GJ Verizon

Comment from Scazza on 2007-08-10

2007-08-10T22:03:59Z

"said Thelma Papetti, who lives next door to the fire at 60 Pine Grove St."

Anyone else read that the way I did? The fire lives at the 60 Pine Grove... I hope hes not one of those noisy neighbours, watching loud movies well into the wee hours...