Appeal to take care with batteries and chargers following house fire

Fire fighters are urging residents to ensure they are aware of the risks involved with electronic devices following a house fire yesterday (30 November).

Shortly after 11am, crews from Lichfield and Rugeley were called to a fire in the bedroom of an address on Manor Road in Kings Bromley.

The occupants had evacuated the property and no injuries were reported. Fire fighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to extinguish the blaze. Excess smoke was cleared from the property using specialist equipment.

Following an investigation, the cause of the fire was deemed to be accidental as a result of a lithium-ion battery from a massage gun.

Lithium-ion batteries or li-ion batteries (sometimes called LIBs) are the lightweight, rechargeable batteries that power our phones, laptops, tablets and other electrical items. They can present a fire risk when over-charged, short-circuited, submerged in water or if they are damaged. It's really important to charge them safely too.

Station Manager Jordan Money said, “When using electronic devices always use the official charger and don’t be tempted to use cheap counterfeit replicas instead – many fail to meet UK safety regulations leading to fires and injury.

“Always make sure you replace any damaged cables and chargers.

“Don’t leave items continuously on charge after the charge cycle is complete – it's best not to leave your phone plugged in overnight for example.

“Never cover chargers or charging devices – that includes using your laptop power lead in bed.”

It is also advisable to regularly check your smoke alarms.

He added, “Please test your smoke alarms every week to ensure they are working correctly.

“We’d also encourage every parent to teach their children about the risk of fire, what a smoke alarm sounds like and what they should do if there is a fire in their home.”

For more information on how to protect yourself from electrical fire, visit: Electrical safety (staffordshirefire.gov.uk)