Coincidence? Bruton's House Catches Fire

Some late-breaking Friday night news from the Charlotte, N.C. area:

Firefighters put out a small fire about 9 p.m. tonight at the home of the Lowe's Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith.

An electrical short in the wire of outdoor Christmas lights caused a spark that lit the shrubbery in front of Smith's south Charlotte house, fire officials said. A passerby saw the flames and flagged down a police officer, who called firefighters.

Battalion Chief Tom Link said Smith was home at the time of the fire, but "he actually didn't know (about the fire) until we tried to get to the door."

Now, I'm really glad Smith didn't lose his house, and that he wasn't injured in the situation, but it certainly strikes me as a little more than a coincidence.

After all, this happened to a guy who threatened to rip down a Charlotte-area & NASCAR landmark because he was a little peeved at initial opposition to building a drag strip on the property.

The effect would have been mind-boggling for Concord and Cabarrus County had Smith uprooted Lowe's Motor Speedway. Not only does the track bring in $169 million + to the local economy each year, but it has created massive development in the northern suburb and would create a major economic problem for a region that has seen thousands of layoffs in the past few years.

He eventually relented after tax incentives, back rubs, and a street were named after him. The street name change was confirmed Thursday by the State of North Carolina.

And now a minor electrical fire at his home? Is that karma for his method of forcing government into private business matters or plain bad luck?

Most likely, it's just a good reason on why you should always turn off your Christmas lights before you go to bed.

HT: The Charlotte Observer