And the house did not burn down

My dishwasher stopped working yesterday. I had started it before I left for the office but it had not completed its cycle by the time I returned home. I figured a fuse had blown or something but did not really think much about it beyond what it would cost to repair or replace. This afternoon the repairman found this (see picture). These wires connected the plug in the electrical outlet to the dishwasher.  Luckily they were fully enclosed in a steel box so the fire did not spread. Apparently the plastic covers were too large which allows this type of thing to happen sometimes. It took the technician about 10 minutes to cut the burnt wires and redo the connections with electrical tape and the appropriately sized covers. I am feeling very lucky that the fire did not spread and that the house did not burn down. This definitely put filing my taxes and sending money to the IRS today in perspective.