Light bulb Started burning and smoking?

[Nicole]

A little while ago a hanging light in my kitchen started flashing on and off. I turned the switch off then on again and then the light made a strange sound. I then saw smoke coming out from the top of the light and shut it off right away. Then my father took the bulb out and we saw it had been burning on the inside. The house was filled with the smell of burnt rubber.

Does anyone know whats going on? This has never happened before.

[Ralfcoder]

If this was a regular incandescent light bulb - not a compact fluorescent - then my GUESS is that the bulb leaked, and the vacuum failed. This let air into the filament, and it burned up. But that's JUST A GUESS, as I AM NOT AN ELECTRICIAN OR ANY SORT OF EXPERT.

So inspect the socket carefully for any sort of damage. Feel it, feel around it for any odd heat that you don't think should be there. And think hard about hiring an electrician to inspect it and see if it's OK or needs to be repaired or replaced, especially if anyone who's NOT an electrician has done any home repairs to this fixture.