[fiberfan]

A leak in my roof is dripping water down behind a wall in the kitchen. This has resulted in a large puddle at one end of the counter and a large blister in the overhead ceiling alcove. I've "lanced" the blister and am collecting the water in a bucket. Finding and fixing the leak is not what I'm asking about. At the other end of the counter is an electrical outlet which has a toaster oven plugged into it. (Above the counter is a built in microwave which I am ignoring at the moment.)

This outlet has a button which can be depressed to restore electricity when something has caused it to pop out. No surprise it has popped out and cut off electricity several times when it is raining.

This part of the kitchen is new wiring but the rest of the kitchen, stove top, dishwasher, overhead light fixtures, etc are connected with knob and tube wiring circa 1940's.

My question: If light switches aren't on, appliances aren't in use (even if plugged in) can moisture at the outlets cause electrical fires. I pretty much unplugged everything when it was raining, but should the electricity be turned off at the fuse box?

[stanfortyman]

Water cannot and will not cause fires or short circuits.

The water can damage things and cause corrosion which in turn can cause problems though.