This apartment fire occurred in Bensalem, Pennsylvania on February 6, 2014.

• 14 families were displaced
• 7 apartments had fire damage, 5 had significant damage
• 11 apartments had smoke and water damage
• 1 firefighter was injured

It was caused by a Landis & Gyr Smart Meter that exploded and caught fire, and set the apartment building on fire.

Bensalem Battalion Chief Robert Sponheimer told the Bucks County Courier Times that the fire started in a utility meter in an outside shed that housed electrical meters.

“…residents reported hearing a loud bang, then losing power Thursday evening. Within minutes they saw smoke pouring out of the shed. The fire then spread to the building and its roof, Sponheimer said.”
http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/local/electric-meter-blamed-for-bensalem-apartment-fire/article_93cf65bb-a298-5978-a88e-464c2f4451e1.html

“The meter itself is the cause of the Bensalem fire, not arcing and not the wires, per the Bensalem Fire Marshal.”

Here is a full account by Skyvision Solutions:
http://smartgridawareness.org/2014/02/14/meter-blamed-for-pennsylvania-fire/

Pennsylvania’s utility company PECO halted Smart Meter installation in August 2012 because of meters overheating and catching fire. They were using Sensus Smart Meters, Elster, and L & G at the time. There was a state investigation. Sensus Smart Meters were declared safe, but PECO began replacing all Sensus meters with Landis & Gyr Smart Meters.

Change in manufacturer makes no difference.

The previous post from Ontario, Canada, was about Landis & Gyr Smart Meters flying off an apartment building and catching fire.

The fire that killed Larry Nikkel in California was started by a Landis & Gyr Smart Meter.

Pacific Gas and Electric uses Landis & Gyr.

This previous post was on Smart Meter fires:
https://smartmeterharm.org/2014/01/22/more-smart-meter-fires/

And here’s EMF Safety Network’s extensive collection of Smart Meter fires, explosions, and electrical damage
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/smart-meters/smart-meter-fires-and-explosions/

California and the West are facing a terrible drought. Most places are tinder dry.

A Smart Meter fire, particularly at night, in a dry, forested region would become a catastrophe quickly, affecting many homes and residents.

Having Smart Meters on homes and businesses is a terrible risk for every community.