Hot outlet or burning smell: act first, diagnose later

Do this in the next minute

This is a hazard page, so the steps come first.

1. Do not touch a hot or smoking outlet. Do not pull a plug that is melted or sparking.
2. Turn off the breaker for that room. If you do not know which one, or you can see smoke, turn off the main breaker.
3. If there is smoke, flame or sparks, get everyone out. Call 911 from outside. Do not use water on an electrical fire. If you have an extinguisher rated for electrical fires and the fire is small and you have a clear exit, you may try it. Otherwise leave.
4. Do not reset the breaker. Leave it off.
5. Keep people and pets away from the wall and anything plugged into it.

If the power is off and there is no smoke or fire, you can call an electrician. The emergency electrician page explains who to call and what to expect.

When to shut off the main

Turn off the main if:

• You cannot identify the breaker
• The panel itself is hot or smells
• More than one outlet or switch is warm
• You see smoke coming from the wall
• You hear buzzing, crackling or popping inside the wall

The main breaker is a large switch at the top of the panel, or in a separate box outside near the meter. Flip it with one hand and stand to the side. If the panel is wet, sparking or too hot to touch, do not go near it. Leave and call 911.

Turning off the main does not make the wires at the meter or the top of the panel safe. They stay live. Do not open the panel.

Why outlets overheat

Heat is caused by resistance, and resistance comes from a poor connection or too much current. These are the usual causes.

A loose wire at the outlet. Push-in “backstab” connections can loosen. A screw terminal can come loose from thermal cycles. The loose spot heats, softens the plastic and can arc.

A worn plug or outlet. A plug that fits loosely makes poor contact. This is common on outlets used with heavy loads, such as a space heater, window air conditioner or hair dryer.

Overload. A power strip or extension cord feeding too many devices. Space heaters and air conditioners should go straight into a wall outlet, not a power strip.

Aluminum wiring. Homes from the 1960s and 1970s sometimes have aluminum branch circuits. Standard outlets can overheat on them. The aluminum wiring page covers the fix.

A failing device. A damaged cord, a charger or a dimmer can overheat and scorch a plate.

Arc-fault protection exists for the hidden form of this problem. NEC 210.12 requires AFCI protection on most bedroom, living area and similar circuits, and an AFCI breaker that trips for no obvious reason may be reporting a real arc. The GFCI and AFCI page covers it.

After the circuit is off

Leave the circuit off until a licensed electrician has checked the outlet, the box and the wire. Do not turn it back on to check, and do not put a different outlet in. A scorched outlet means something heated the plastic. The cause may be behind the wall, in the next outlet on the circuit or at the breaker.

Unplug the devices from that outlet and keep them. Note what was plugged in, how long, and when you first noticed. Tell the electrician about other outlets that feel warm. Take photos of any marks.

You can run a single extension cord from a different circuit for essentials like a refrigerator. Use a heavy-duty cord, keep it short and run it out in the open, not under a rug.

What the electrician will do

The electrician tests the circuit with the power off, then opens the box. They look at the wire for browned insulation, check each terminal, and test the breaker. A damaged wire is cut back to clean copper. A burned outlet and plate are replaced. The electrician usually checks the neighboring outlets on the same circuit, since a problem rarely stays at one spot. If the breaker is at fault, it is replaced. If the wiring is damaged along the run, they will give options, which may include a partial rewire.

As of October 2026, a typical SoCal flat-rate repair runs $185 to $575, and Fixr’s national guide says many electricians charge a premium outside regular hours. See emergency electrician costs for the range. A typical fix is toward the low-to-middle of that range. A hidden burned splice costs more.

If your lights dimmed or flickered before the smell began, see flickering lights. Frequent damage to electronics can mean surges, which the surge protection page covers.