Firefighters have warned of the dangers of leaving a mobile phone charging after a blaze ripped through a girl’s bedroom.
They believe the phone battery overheated while it was charging, resulting in a fire that
The first floor of the building also suffered severe smoke damage.
The incident – which happened on Tuesday in Morfa Bychan, near Porthmadog – has prompted a warning from firefighters not to leave phones charging overnight.
| The girl’s room before the fire outbreak |
It is not clear whether the phone charger in this incident was bought from a reputable manufacturer, reported Wales Online.
However, senior fire safety manager at North Wales Police, Stuart Millington, said the incident “highlights how quickly a fire can spread”.
He gave the following advice for minimising the risk of a fire in such circumstances:
- Only ever purchase chargers from a reputable source.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidance
- Turn chargers off and unplug them before you go to bed
- Never leave items on charge or unattended for long periods
- Always charge your phone on a hard surface. Do not charge it on bedding or any combustible surface.
- Make sure you have a working smoke alarm installed in your property and test it weekly