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I was searching on Google if anyone had a Western Digital Caviar catch fire and sure enough...saw this forum.

I started smelling burning in the house...and felt the external hard drive closure super hot and smoking. Pulled out all the plugs and once it cooled down, looked and the plastic was slightly melted while the onboard circuitry was slightly blackened. And it was away from the power cord area.

This is the first time I have experienced this and I have had many HD go bad on me. But man...I'm glad this did not happen while I was sleeping. I was about to call it a day until I smelled the external hard drive smoking up.
 
Those electronic devices are build with slow burning plastics.
So even when it shorts , it should not burn easely.

Never the less , you sould always be prepared for something like this.
Use smoke dedectors , so you aren't surprised in your sleep.

Anyway , 20 years ago it was much worse , with tv's en CRT's that could implode.
It was rare , but possible
 
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