News release text
Firefighters are reminding residents not to leave electrical appliances constantly on charge following a fire in Sittingbourne this morning (11 January).
The fire is believed to have started when a laptop that had been left on charge overnight overheated and caught alight. The family were alerted by a smoke alarm sounding and quickly smothered the small fire with a tea-towel before calling the emergency services.
Crews attended the Amber Rise home shortly after 6am and made sure the fire had been fully extinguished. The electrical appliance was completely destroyed by the fire and parts of the laptop had broken off leaving scorch marks where they landed.
Sittingbourne Crew Manager, Kevin Ford, said: “Thankfully no-one was injured in this incident but it does highlight the need to ensure that electrical appliances are not constantly left on charge as this can lead to the battery or other internal components overheating.
“Without the working smoke alarm in their home the outcome could have been very different. I would therefore urge everyone to get one of these live saving devices installed on every floor of your property and test it regularly.”
