Crews extinguish accidental house fire in Stoke-on-Trent

We have extinguished a house fire in Stoke-on-Trent that was started accidentally.

Four appliances were sent to Maxwell Place, Penkhull just before 1pm yesterday (Tuesday 25 March) after smoke was seen coming from a house.

Crews used breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire by 3pm.

Thankfully, nobody was inside the house at the time and nobody was injured.

Following our enquiries, it has been established that the fire was caused accidentally by an electrical charger device.

Here are some top tips for electrical safety in the home:

• When using electronic devices always use the official charger and don’t be tempted to use cheap counterfeit replicas instead.
• Ensure that you replace all damaged cables and chargers.
• Make sure all electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them.
• Don’t overload your sockets – keep one appliance to one plug where possible and use the socket overload calculator to reduce the risk of fire.
• Unplug appliances when you are going to bed or not using them.
• High powered appliances such as washing machines should have a single plug socket.
• Never use square box plug adapters, and if using a strip adapter/extension make sure it’s fused and don’t overload it.
• If using a cable drug extension lead, it should be completely unwound to avoid overheating.