BIONICLE sets (or LEGO in general) and fire/smoke damage?

[Moku]

Hey guys,

I've unfortunately had a house fire on Monday due to an electric blanket that burned a large part of my room, including clothing, carpet, and ironically my Tahu, Master of Fire set.  Thankfully it did not cause much more damage than that, and I'm VERY fortunate that this wasn't any worse than damage to my room.

 

However, I am also somewhat concerned about smoke damage, specifically on my BIONICLE parts.  Obviously there is soot present on most of them (most notably Kopaka), which I can probably clean, but I've heard that plastic has a tendency to become brittle or weak after exposure to heat.  I did recover a MOC that I made a few days before the fire, and other than an evident smokey-odor, I've not noticed any delicacies.  I'm just wondering, have any of you ever experienced something like this?  And if so, have your BIONICLE or LEGO sets become brittle or anything of the such as a result?  I really don't feel like losing a great collection of BIONICLE sets I've accumulated because of smoke damage from a house fire...

 

EDIT: I've recently taken my custom MOC I recovered, and the odor has faded away quite significantly.  It's still there, but it's quite faint compared to a few days ago.  So I'm assuming that, as long as my BIONICLE sets didn't suffer smoke damage (meaning the plastic didn't expand due to the heat and absorb soot), I'll be able to keep my sets, which is good.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Moku

[Sybre]

I've never heard of smoke damage on plastic, but that's probably because my brain is a brick. As for burning, then we have something. First off, your Tahu set is made of CCBS parts, probably the toughest LEGO pieces in history. That could probably help with its heat resistance, which is already very strong. You'd have to get the pieces to be pretty hot if you're gonna damage them. I'm not sure about the other sets. They're probably okay, but don't take it from me.

 

However, I'm more concerned about the amount of burn damage your Tahu had. I read somewhere that burning ABS plastic will release a toxic gas. If your set was hit with some fire and was even burned a bit, then I'm worried.

[fishers64]

However, I'm more concerned about the amount of burn damage your Tahu had. I read somewhere that burning ABS plastic will release a toxic gas. If your set was hit with some fire and was even burned a bit, then I'm worried.

Burning anything releases toxic gases. Smoke inhalation kills more people in house fires than actual flames.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

 

However, I'm more concerned about the amount of burn damage your Tahu had. I read somewhere that burning ABS plastic will release a toxic gas. If your set was hit with some fire and was even burned a bit, then I'm worried.

Burning anything releases toxic gases. Smoke inhalation kills more people in house fires than actual flames.

 

The smoke itself is not toxic, what kills people is the lack of oxygen created from having so much smoke. They basically drown from lack of oxygen. Not the toxicity of the smoke within the fire.

 

As for your Tahu. I would start by fully aerating both your room and Tahu himself. To help vent any possible toxic gas that may have been released. I have heard any plastic when burned releases less than healthy fumes. So keeping your Tahu in a well ventilated area for a while would be a good choice for safe reasons. If you have the cash, or no somebody with one, get an air purifier for your room to better aid in any removal of possible toxic fumes. Not just from Tahu, but the fire itself.

[Xabla]

Can you post pictures?

[Prowl Nightwolf]

Oh yes, let's see pictures of Tahu after his trip into the fire. See if Gen2 has the same fire resistance gen1 is said to have.. Actually I wouldn't mind seeing that myself. Was there piece warping or melting or is he still fully intact and unharmed besides some soot stains on his parts?

[Smitty]

I don't think LEGO is made form the kind of plastic that will get brittle when exposed to heat, unless it's for a prolonged period of time.

[bioniclepluslotr]

I put a Lego man into a heater once. His face melted off and gave my sister nighmares for weeks.

[Tuuli]

Sincerest condolences for the Master of Fire, but can we please see a picture of him so we can access the gravity of the situation. Thanks.

[Moku]

Hey guys, sorry for not being active here.  I've been a bit busy with hotel stuff and whatnot.

 

Anyways, here's a (not so great, unfortunately) picture of Tahu, as well as my other BIONICLE sets.

 

 

Though the picture doesn't do it much justice, there are signs of obvious burns on Tahu's blade.  In fact, when I saw it in person (my phone was dead, so I couldn't take pictures), the left blade was completely melted off.  In addition, lots of the armor was melted into place, such as the new CCBS/Bionicle shell piece and the chest plate.  Tahu was notably right in the vicinity of the fire, so it's understandable that he suffered the most damage.  I unfortunately cannot take any more pictures, because my room is currently off-limits due to an investigation of the fire.

 

Of note is that Lewa's axe blade was also slightly melted, though I have a replacement for that, fortunately.  All the others notably suffer from soot accumulation (like Lewa's lower arm green size 4 armor shell), but other than that there is nothing visibly wrong with them.

 

As for the smoke itself harming us, my mother was in my room and spend around 5 minutes in there putting out the fire.  She managed to successfully, and after a hospital trip, we both ended up okay.  Nobody was hurt, thankfully.

 

I'll try to get more pictures when/if possible.

 

-Moku

 

PS: The reason I mentioned Tahu in the first place was because I found it sorta ironic.  Notably because he's the master of fire, yet he was damaged the most during the fire.  A bit of a coincidence that I found funny.  I do appreciate the concern though guys, and I'll try to keep you guys updated.

 

PPS: I did get a replacement Tahu, thankfully, as the first one was too damaged to recover, what with the melted parts and such.

[danny316p]

FWIW, LEGO actually tests the strength of set designs and part connection using an oven, so it can take much more heat than advertised.

 

I have no directly applicable advice, this seems to be the only sort of damage I've never had to suffer through myself yet. Why do I feel like I'm jinxing myself here?

[masterchirox580]

Lego doesn't seem to burn easily, I remember an episode of "is it a good idea to microwave this?" where they microwaved lego and found that it did not melt nor set on fire (they said the bricks just felt kinda warm). 

[Prowl Nightwolf]

Well something must have happened, I can see the melted part of Tahu's swords in the posted pic. That fire must have gotten really hot, though a microwave works a bit differently than an open flame...

[Aanchir]

Smoke can discolor LEGO, but I haven't heard of it causing significant structural damage.

Heat, on the other hand, can damage parts by melting them, as you've noticed with your Tahu. LEGO does put sets in an oven for a "heat test", but this is just four hours at 60 degrees Celsius/140 degrees Fahrenheit to simulate a year in direct sunlight, not the kind of extreme heat sets might experience during a house fire. And even this test DOES weaken the connections between the bricks — in fact, that's the whole point, as it showcases where the models are most fragile and need to be reinforced.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Aanchir

[Tuuli]

So did you throw him away or will you give the charred Master a decent burial? Or perhaps reanimate him forever alongside his fresh counterpart?

[Prowl Nightwolf]

Oh good question. I want to know the answer to that as well. What will/did you do with your old Tahu now that you have a new one?

[Moku]

So did you throw him away or will you give the charred Master a decent burial? Or perhaps reanimate him forever alongside his fresh counterpart?

 

 

Oh good question. I want to know the answer to that as well. What will/did you do with your old Tahu now that you have a new one?

You know, I'm not quite sure yet.  I never really thought of it... Yeah, that might be something I'm interested in doing.  Or something along those lines.  He's still in my room, though it's really up to the insurance company at this point.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

As in, they are going to imprison him for being damaged from the fire? Like evidence he is not as fire resistant as his story tells? That's not fair, hasn't he been through enough already?

[Moku]

As in, they are going to imprison him for being damaged from the fire? Like evidence he is not as fire resistant as his story tells? That's not fair, hasn't he been through enough already?

Well, I don't think they're gonna go that far with him, hahah.  I'm assuming they may find him to be junk or something.  Then again, I've no idea.  To be honest, when I first saw that picture, I thought that only his mask was missing, and that's an easy fix, right?  But yeah, I'm assuming he's got some explaining to do regarding his title of "Master of Fire".

[Toa of Ice - 1987]

I feel sorry for your loss.

Were there any salvageable parts from the damaged Tahu such as the mask or head or were a too many pieces starting to melt themselves stuck?

Edited March 15, 2015 by ---Kopaka Nuva---

[Moku]

I feel sorry for your loss.

 

Were there any salvageable parts from the damaged Tahu such as the mask or head or were a too many pieces starting to melt themselves stuck?

Well, a lot of the parts are probably salvageable, so I'll probably take those.  At the same time, though, the useful armor shells and such were melted into place, so unfortunately I've little to work with.

[Smitty]

 Tahu was notably right in the vicinity of the fire...  I unfortunately cannot take any more pictures, because my room is currently off-limits due to an investigation of the fire.

We may have a suspect...

[UnderscoreChronix]

Wow, that must have sucked man 

Good thing it was only one set that got burnt, and Tahu actually held up surprisingly well. (which I suppose is rather fitting)

Is there any other major damage apart from the melted sword?

[Moku]

Wow, that must have sucked man

Good thing it was only one set that got burnt, and Tahu actually held up surprisingly well. (which I suppose is rather fitting)

Is there any other major damage apart from the melted sword?

Well, a lot of the useful armor pieces were melted on the ccbs armor shells, as was the chest piece,so unfortunately the only salvageable parts aren't too exciting.

[Kovika: Visorak Lord]

Burning sets? Saw some guy throw a brick in a fire once, took some time to melt, don't recall how much.

Though I have seen an entire castle made of Mega Blocks that went up in flames faster than gasoline.

Watching those sets burn was glorious, I laughed all the way through as I saw those little Mega Blocks figures burn in agonizing horror of a fate worse than Karzahni. 

Lego burning? Not a clue besides that brick.

[Moku]

Well, I got all my sets back guys, and bad news.

 

It was more than just Tahu and Lewa that melted.  Almost everyone melted at one point or another, some worse than others.  In addition, there are some deep soot stains on their parts that, honestly, I don't think I have the effort nor patience to clean  (Most notably on PoI and Kopaka).  So unfortunately I'll have to buy back my G2 collection.  There are individual parts I can recover, though those are few and far between.  Quite an unfortunate turn of events.  I'll try to get some pictures soon.

[Cwog]

Well, I got all my sets back guys, and bad news.

 

It was more than just Tahu and Lewa that melted.  Almost everyone melted at one point or another, some worse than others.  In addition, there are some deep soot stains on their parts that, honestly, I don't think I have the effort nor patience to clean  (Most notably on PoI and Kopaka).  So unfortunately I'll have to buy back my G2 collection.  There are individual parts I can recover, though those are few and far between.  Quite an unfortunate turn of events.  I'll try to get some pictures soon.

I'm really sorry to hear that. At least they're easily replaceable, and not relics like the gen1 sets.

[Moku]

 

Well, I got all my sets back guys, and bad news.

 

It was more than just Tahu and Lewa that melted.  Almost everyone melted at one point or another, some worse than others.  In addition, there are some deep soot stains on their parts that, honestly, I don't think I have the effort nor patience to clean  (Most notably on PoI and Kopaka).  So unfortunately I'll have to buy back my G2 collection.  There are individual parts I can recover, though those are few and far between.  Quite an unfortunate turn of events.  I'll try to get some pictures soon.

I'm really sorry to hear that. At least they're easily replaceable, and not relics like the gen1 sets.

 

Yeah, that's fortunate.  Plus I've still got the benefit of recovering select parts, notably the masks

[Booky The Bookworm]

[flash=250,100]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/sprxtrerme/BANNERS/thornax.swf

Edited June 1, 2015 by Booky The Bookworm

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

 

 

Well, I got all my sets back guys, and bad news.

 

It was more than just Tahu and Lewa that melted.  Almost everyone melted at one point or another, some worse than others.  In addition, there are some deep soot stains on their parts that, honestly, I don't think I have the effort nor patience to clean  (Most notably on PoI and Kopaka).  So unfortunately I'll have to buy back my G2 collection.  There are individual parts I can recover, though those are few and far between.  Quite an unfortunate turn of events.  I'll try to get some pictures soon.

I'm really sorry to hear that. At least they're easily replaceable, and not relics like the gen1 sets.

 

Yeah, that's fortunate.  Plus I've still got the benefit of recovering select parts, notably the masks

 

 

Ah yes, you still have the chance to claim your masks of power. :v

 

(shame about the fire though. dang. :0)

[Tuuli]

To think I used to burn Toa Lhikan as a sport...I had no idea