DEAR SUN SPOTS: Concerning the electrical fires in Lewiston, Brunswick, etc., were smart meters installed in these buildings? Is there a connection or pattern to these fires?

Thank you for any information you can give on this matter. — Jean Grover, Greenwood

ANSWER: Sun Spots couldn’t be sure which Lewiston fire you were referring to, but based on the date of your letter, she was pretty sure the one in Brunswick was the 126-year-old church. So she started by calling Brunswick fire Chief Ken Brilliant.

Brilliant said that fire was not caused by a smart meter (he didn’t know if one was installed on that church), but rather old wiring, the kind that is covered in cloth as opposed to the insulated variety electricians use now. The chief speculated that either wear and old age or chewing rodents exposed the raw wires, leading to the fire.

The failure of wiring in the church is one of the common causes of electrical fires, as are the overloading of circuits (too many things plugged into an outlet or overtaxed extension cords), faulty electrical appliances or devices, and problems with electrical boxes or fuses blowing (using a penny to complete the circuit is not a good idea!).

Brilliant said he did not know of any fires related to meters.

To follow up further, Sun Spots called Central Maine Power Co.’s media relations department and spoke to John Carroll. He said that before CMP even began installing the meters, the fire safety issue was thoroughly researched. The Maine Public Utilities Commission conducted an extensive study of any potential fire hazards. Carroll said the five-month investigation turned up none, and the PUC gave the smart meters the all-clear.

Carroll said that CMP has about 627,000 meters total and so far has installed about 270,000 smart meters. There have been no reports of any fires from them.

Sun Spots also talked to Carroll about people’s concerns about radio waves. He said that there is nothing new about the technology the meters use, that it goes back to Marconi and the early days of radio, and is simply a new application of that old technology.

Many things in your home make use of radio waves. Along with radios and televisions (if you still have an antenna), there are cordless telephones, cellphones, microwaves, baby monitors, garage door openers, etc. There really is no reason to be concerned about the smart meters sending out data. Calling CMP about the meters on a cordless or cellphone exposes a customer to more radio waves than does the once-a-day transmission from the meter, which is on the outside of your house.

Sun Spots also asked Carroll about concerns that power bills will be going up because the new meters are more accurate than the older style meters. He admitted that some of the old meters have slowed a bit from a build-up of dirt in the mechanism, but said that the old mechanical meters were quite accurate and any difference in costs should be very minor.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am looking for a recipe for rice pie, My grandfather used to make rice pies, but never gave the family his recipe. After he died, we all craved those delicious pies. Thanks. — T.P., Lewiston

ANSWER: Sun Spots had never heard of this dish before, but there are many recipes for it online, and they sound pretty yummy, if fattening. Some call for heavy cream along with the cheese and eggs. She can’t reprint them in the column because of copyright laws, but surely some readers will send in directions for their favorite concoctions.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I sincerely appreciate your printing my request (July 6) for two bales of long straw for material to thatch a roof on Scottish cottage replica. In a senior moment, I realized that in my request I neglected to include a contact number or email, hence this second letter. My cellphone is 320-3447, and my email is [email protected]. Many thanks for all your good work. — Gloria Poulin, Livermore

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to [email protected].