B757-200
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Other / Unknown; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft; Chart Or Publication
The event took place two hours prior to end of shift [before dawn]. I was working alone. I was working a task card to clean the main aircraft battery charger rack and APU battery charger rack. I started with the Main Battery Charger. Power was off of the aircraft. I pulled the [C/B] breakers for the main and APU battery chargers. I went into the forward E/E Bay with cleaning rags and my tools. After disconnecting the main battery charger; I was removing the charger from the shelf and it arced. The rags caught on fire and very quickly the insulations blankets. I got out of the E/E Bay and yelled to a coworker to call the fire department. I ran up the stairs to the plane and got one of the on-board fire extinguishers. I went back to the E/E Bay and extinguished the fire. After the event I went for medical treatment.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) reports about a Main Battery Charger that arced during removal for cleaning of the battery charger shelf in the E/E Bay; on a B757-200 aircraft. Power was off the aircraft and C/Bs for Main and APU battery chargers were pulled. The arc caused the cleaning rags and insulation blankets to catch on fire. Technician acquired an onboard fire extinguisher and extinguished the fire.