An electrical supervisor conducting a walkabout after a pre-start noticed smoke and heard a strange noise coming from a generator. Assuming it could be running out of fuel, he lifted the access cover and discovered a small fire had started around the crankcase of the engine. He immediately shut it down and deployed a near-by fire extinguisher. When the fire was out and the appliance had cooled down, he disconnected the battery terminals to prevent accidental start-up, and fitted an out-of-service tag to the generator. An out-of-service tag was also fitted to the spent fire extinguisher to prevent re-use.

This incident had the potential to escalate had it remained undetected.