Any of the following should be treated as emergency signs: burning smell near an outlet, discoloration or black marks, heat from the outlet or panel, buzzing sounds, or tripped breakers that won't reset. Find out the most common bad smells from electrical panels and learn what you should do in these situations. Sometimes cooking appliances, HVAC systems, or even a new heater can give off a similar scent temporarily. However, if you smell something like burning plastic, or it reminds you of a campfire in the walls. An electrical fire smell has a distinct fishy odor that is unmistakeable once experienced once.