Sunnyside student urinates on outlet in attempt to set fire to school

Ron Wilkins | Journal & Courier

LAFAYETTE — A 12-year-old boy urinated on an electrical outlet Friday morning at Sunnyside Intermediate School in an attempt to start a fire, Lafayette police reported.

The boy managed to start a fire or enough smoke to set off the fire alarm, Lafayette Fire Investigator Todd Trent said.

To the relief of many, the boy's plan to failed, according to police and Trent.

Someone hurried into the first-floor boys' restroom with a fire extinguisher and put out the small fire, which was contained to the electrical outlet, Trent said.

As for the boy, he was arrested, accused of criminal recklessness, police said. The boy was taken to the juvenile probation intake offices, police said.

The boy's actions raises many questions — No. 1 among them is whether he might have shocked himself while showering the outlet with his urine.

Trent said that would not be possible if the boy was standing upright. But neither is it likely that the urine hitting from that angle would have soaked into the outlet to create enough heat to cause a fire, Trent said, adding that the case remains under investigation

According to a March 9, 2011, YouTube video from the Discovery Channel show "MythBusters", the urine stream becomes pulses when it falls. This means any electrical source the urine comes in contact will not complete the electrical circuit since the stream is broken.

However, when one urinates on an electrical circuit at a close distance, there is a risk of an electrical shock, according to the "MythBusters'" experiment.

The stream of urine close to the electrical source has not fallen far enough to become droplets, according to the "MythBusters." Therefore, a stream of urine close to the electrical source will complete the circuit, sending a shock up the stream and into the person's body, according to the "MythBusters'" experiment.

Trent said he has never investigated a fire started by someone urinating on an outlet. But he's read about inmates who are incarcerated attempting such stunts.

Police also said it's unusual. They've investigated fires in restrooms, but not ones started by urinating on an outlet.

Reach Ron Wilkins at 765-420-5231 or at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2

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