Federal agency wants information about potential Chinese drywall fires March 12, 2010

News Inferno reported that fires, potentially related to defective drywall, may be the newest of concerns that consumers and federal officials alike have been facing since the Chinese drywall crisis gained momentum in 2008.  Fire safety officials have been asked by federal officials to promptly notify them if they have knowledge of fires that may have some connection with defective drywall.

For those homeowners who may be aware that the home they live in contains Chinese drywall – but are not financially in the position to move out immediately – can at least take some comfort in the fact that officials are not aware of fire incidents that have been conclusively linked with Chinese drywall at this time.  The concern, however, is that since electrical wiring in homes may be corroded/corroding as a result of contaminated drywall, fire safety issues could arise.

The primary agency that has handled consumer complaints since the start of the Chinese drywall crisis has been the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  The CPSC recently teamed up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct extensive studies on allegedly defective drywall, in an effort to establish a connection between reported health and home issues with the drywall.

Over three thousands complaints were sourced from almost every state.  Specifically, 37 states and other U.S. territories have sourced complaints to the CPSC.  The complaints range from health related to home related; the complaints include allegations that damage has been incurred to air conditioning systems, components related to plumbing, and insulated electrical wiring among others.  Precisely, the root of the problem is thought by many to be related to the emission of sulfuric gas emissions.  Jewelry has even been corroded according to some homeowners.