House fire caused by mobile phone charger a timely reminder says watch commander

A house fire started by a mobile phone charger is a timely reminder not to leave devices switched on longer than needed Cambridgshire Fire and Rescue has said.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Mar 2017, 10:40 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 11:04 BST
The scene of the fireThe scene of the fire
The scene of the fire

At 9.41am yesterday, Tuesday February 28, one crew from Huntingdon and one crew from St Neots were called to a fire on Thrapston Road in Brampton.

Firefighters arrived to find a fire on the first floor of a two-storey house. Wearing breathing apparatus they extinguished the fire using a hose reel and cleared the smoke using a positive pressure ventilation fan.

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Watch Commander Jon Wade said: “We arrived to find a small fire in a bedroom with flames visible from outside. The occupants had safely evacuated before we arrived.

“The fire was located in a first floor bedroom, which was being used as an office. A cordless phone charger had overheated and set fire to the desk and the curtains in the room, causing damage to the desk and the area around the window.

“Incidents like this are a reminder to not leave any kind of phone charger on for longer than needed. Electrical equipment should be switched off when fully charged, unless it is designed to be left on, like fridges or freezers.”

The crews returned to their station by 11am.

Related topics:Huntingdon