My house almost burned down

For the past 3 days we have been having electrical issues in our kitchen. Our coffee maker would not turn on. We checked the breakers, we flipped them on and off. We turned off our air conditionner in the dining room. But nothing seemed to fix the problem. My husband knows a great deal about electrical issues since he has worked in low-voltage electrical for over 20 years. 

This morning, we woke to find that the dishwasher had turned off 30 minutes into its cycle and still had water in the bottom of it. We thought we would at least turn it back on to finish its cycle. After a few minutes the entire first floor smelled like someone had dumped fish everywhere. We thought maybe it was the dishwasher, since some people have reported that on the internet. But regardless, my husband knew we had a problem. So he began ripping the kitchen cabinets apart trying to check electrical boxes for wires that may have a short. He couldn't find anything amiss. He said he only had one more outlet to check. Here is a photo of what he found:

According to Energy Today Electricians, 9 times out of 10, a fishy smell throughout the home means you have overheating electrical components (circuit breakers, outlets, wiring, etc.). Most wires and circuit breakers are made with heat resistant chemicals. But if those components overheat, the chemicals they are made of release a wierd odor that smells exactly like fish!

46,700 home fires per year are due to electrical failure or malfunction according to the National Fire Protection Association. So if you smell a strong fish smell throughout your home (and you are not cooking fish), make sure to have your electrical outlets checked to protect your home and loved ones from a house fire.