A family is homeless right now because their Xbox360 caused $100,000 in property damage in a fire. According to the Little Rock, AR fire department’s Captain Jason Weaver, a 360’s power cord was to blame for a blaze that injured no one.
Capt. Weaver asserted that the power cord was most likely on the floor and stuffed in a small place where it didn’t have much ventilation. He found it melted and against the wall, so it most likely caught the nearby wires and electronics on fire as well.
Microsoft warns that you shouldn’t leave the power cord in enclosed places or on the floor because the friction could cause the power supply to ignite. One out of every 10,000 cords is defective.
This isn’t the first house fire that has been linked to an Xbox. In 2005, the family of an Illinois infant who was killed in a fire sued Microsoft, and so did the family of a teen from Texas who was burned.
Also, in 2005, Microsoft issued a recall on more than 14 million power cords that were manufactured on or before Oct. 23, 2003, citing fire hazards. I guess some gamers didn’t get that memo. I definitely didn’t.
It seems very unlikely that something like this would happen so why would I waste my time ordering a replacement cord? I’ve been gaming since the original Nintendo, and this is the first issue I’ve ever seen like this. But gamers should take notice and learn from the tragedies of others.
If you feel as though your power supply is a fire hazard, contact Microsoft and have them ship you a replacement power cord. It doesn’t take much time and it could save you a lot of money.
If you’re like me you don’t really have a choice because now my girlfriend has another reason to not like video games.
Jonathan Masker is a wireless solution expert and a self-proclaimed gadget guru. Reach him at jonathan.masker@gmail.com.