Ceiling fan fires are rare. I have never encountered one. The majority of ceiling fans sold in the USA are imported from China, and they are approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL507 is the general UL Standard for fans. UL507 references UL2111, which is the UL Standard for thermally protected motors. The two major ways of thermally protecting a motor are: (1) by using a detective device in series with the power that opens when an over temperature is sense, and (2) impedance protection, where the impedance of the motor windings limit the amount of heat generated, even in abnormal situations such as a locked rotor condition. All of the ceiling fans I have disassembled were impedance protected. Impedance protected motors are subject to a test where the rotor is locked for 15 days, and the temperature of the motor is monitored for the first three days.
Case History: Exemplar 42" Ceiling Fan Purchased at Home Depot in 2006 for $19.99.
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Case History: Exemplar 52" Ceiling Fan from New Manufactured Home. Distributor: Global Electric; P.O. Box 590902, Arlington, Texas.
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