Not mine actually but that some did during the heatwave in the Northwest this Summer caught my eye in this article,

"My dad’s prepping for the end times. Climate change makes me think I should, too."

"My dad’s prepper mentality came to mind again for me when temperatures soared a few weeks ago, and I drove to four different locations looking for ice because our refrigerator had started smoking. (According to my landlord, mine was the third refrigerator that needed replacing in less than 24 hours.) At my last stop, the cashier shook his head apologetically: “Everyone’s trying to stay cool.” This time, city residents were slapping together jury-rigged swamp coolers with large bowls of ice and those perennially versatile box fans. I’d run up against the limits of what the marketplace could provide. In a moment of desperation, I asked my neighbors two doors down if I could store my perishable goods with them. Though they kindly accommodated, it made for awkward interactions later when I had to knock on their door and ask for my coffee creamer or salad greens. After a while, I decided I didn’t really need those things after all."

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That your refrigerator or other essential appliance might be worked so constantly, that it might catch fire make perfect sense but isn't something I even thought about. We live in a world that is expected to have a narrow range of possibilities. Appliances are designed to work only within that range and only as little as needed. That it might have to run full time and still not keep up isn't in the blueprint.

There's going to more of these overlooked situations as the Long Descent unfolds.