Burnt neutral on kitchen dwelling receptacle

[cppoly]

Any thoughts on this burnt neutral on a kitchen receptacle?

There are three receptacles in the kitchen and dinning room that share the same circuit fed from a 30A breaker! Aside from this being a violation, it wouldn't explain why the neutral at the receptacle is burnt and not the hot wire.

Could it be a loose connection or something else?

 

[jap]

I'd suspect a loose connection, but, Is that a cob web?

Did a giant spider get between the neutral and side of the box?

JAP>

 

[cppoly]

Lol! Good point. Better than a small rodent I guess.

 

[synchro]

Any thoughts on this burnt neutral on a kitchen receptacle?
. . .
Could it be a loose connection or something else?

It looks like the loop on the neutral wire is shifted and not under the head of the receptacle screw terminal. If that was the case before the connection got burnt, then this could have contributed to the problem.

 

[jap]

The connections could have been tight and the giant spider built a silky web between the hot and neutral and inadvertently became the load,,,

Who knows,,,

JAP>