Electrical Emergency in DFW? Here’s What To Do

Electrical emergencies are scary and potentially dangerous. Knowing what to do in the first few minutes can prevent a bad situation from becoming catastrophic. Here’s a step-by-step guide from our licensed Master Electrician.

Burning Smell from Outlet or Panel

1. Don’t ignore it — burning electrical smell means arcing or overheating
2. Turn off the breaker for that area immediately
3. If the smell is from the main panel, turn off the main breaker
4. Do not use that circuit until an electrician inspects it
5. Call a licensed electrician immediately

Sparking Outlet

1. Unplug anything from that outlet
2. Turn off the breaker for that outlet
3. Do not use the outlet until inspected
4. A brief spark when plugging in is sometimes normal — sustained sparking is not

Complete Power Outage

1. Check if neighbors have power — if yes, the issue is yours
2. Check your main breaker — it may have tripped
3. If the main breaker is on but no power, call Oncor: 1-888-313-4747
4. If power is restored by Oncor but circuits still don’t work, call an electrician

Breaker Won’t Reset

1. Turn the breaker fully OFF first, then back ON
2. If it trips again immediately, there’s a short circuit or overload on that line
3. Unplug all devices on that circuit and try again
4. If it still trips, call an electrician — do not keep resetting it

When to Call 911 vs an Electrician

Call 911 if: you see flames, smell smoke, or someone has been shocked.
Call an electrician if: burning smell (no flames), sparking outlets, breakers won’t reset, or complete outage after Oncor confirms power is on.

Triple Eagle Electric serves all of DFW — Arlington, Fort Worth, Dallas, Plano, Frisco, and more. Call us at (817) 715-6557 for fast response.