Had exactly that happen a number of years ago during a bad ice storm. Homeowner was a nut case, couldn't understand why other houses were having their power restored and he wasn't. Wife called me. He wouldn't let me into the house to look at the panel (I know it was an old Zinsco) but I did look outside and saw that the service drop, SE and meter were charcoal. I told him he would have to have his entire service replaced and I wouldn't trust any wiring in the house. He wouldn't believe me. He kept calling the POCO to restore his power.
Finally, after about two weeks without heat and power he got the message and found another local EC who replaced the service and (I guess) the panel. Now the nutcase refuses to allow an inspector in his house. The local cable news catches wind of the situation and sends a reporter and video crew to the house to show the wife all wrapped up in blankets with a candle and blaming the POCO for them not having power for almost a month. Of course the reporter agrees and blames the POCO too. Why are these poor people still without power?
The husband still refuses an inspection but the news coverage must have put pressure on the POCO. So the next day POCO arrives with the fire department standing by and re-connects them.
No smoke, but apparently they lost all their electrical appliances and TVs. No way I would want to live in that house after that with that wiring. A few years later the house was demolished to make way for a new one. I would have wanted to watch as the wiring was exposed to see the condition of it. It was the old cloth covered NM without ground.
-Hal