Fire in tha hole: THE UPDATE

So, at around 12:30am or so, I'm sitting at my computer and playing WoW, when from the left, where our AC and water heater is kept, I hear a loud grinding and a sharp CLANK. The things behind that door make noise all the time, and so though it surprised me, I got over it and ignored it. Then I smelled and saw the smoke. I thought it may have been myself, but upon having someone else in the room come over and smell, we surmised that yes; something was burning.

Pulling the Recliner and the tables and the vacuum and the printer box away from the door, we open it to a large cloud of dark gray smoke and bright yellow sparks. Those sparks turn into flames with the new oxygen from the opening door. We throw water on it and call maintenance. Much worry and three or four or five calls later, the guy shows up and turns the breaker for the thing off and disconnects it from any power in the house.

We still dont know what caused it yet, as its still kinda hot, charred, and black in there. He's coming back in the morning to go deeper into the machine to see if he can a) figure out what did it so we can not do it no more and b)fix the dern thing.

I'll update as soon as I know more...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So they came in and replaced the hot water heater. We have hot water again, but they never really did say for sure what the problem was or what caused it. Machinery malfunction with 'we think it might have been a malfunctioning thermostat on the inside'. Whatever. We have a brand new one and *knock on wood* I hope to whoever that nothing happens to this one.