Crews attend house fire caused by faulty charger

Fire crews have attended an accidental house fire in Tunstall caused by a faulty electrical charger.

Firefighters were called to an address near Furlong Road at around 4am this morning (Thursday 10 March) following reports of a house fire.

Crews from Hanley and Sandyford attended as did paramedics and Staffordshire Police.

On arrival, crews found a fire located in the front living room of the address.

Two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet and positive pressure ventilation were used to extinguish the fire.

A man was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and taken to hospital for further checks.

No one else was hurt.

The cause of the fire was later deemed as an accidental ignition as a result of a faulty battery charger malfunctioning while attached to a remote control toy.

Crews left the scene at around 5.30am.

Gareth Lewis, Watch Manager at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “When using electronic devices always use the official charger and don’t be tempted to use cheap counterfeit replicas instead.

“Always make sure you replace all 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 – an example would be your laptop power lead in bed.”

It is also advisable to regularly check your smoke alarms.

Watch Manager Lewis added: “We would advise testing them every week to ensure they are working.

“The number of smoke alarms to fit in your home depends on your particular circumstances.

“Fires can start anywhere, so the more that are fitted, the higher the level of protection.”

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