Some of those are 'Fuse Resistors', and are designed to fail open if
the equipment starts drawing too much current, or if it is running too
hot. I replaced hundreds, if not thousands of those in consumer
electronics. Some OEMs switched to the Belfuse 'Chemical Fuses', which
had a chemically coated element that would flash and vaporize the
element at a set temperature.
They were quite common, in spite of Phil Allison's claim to the
contrary.
--
Never piss off an Engineer!
They don't get mad.
They don't get even.
They go for over unity! ;-)