Cheshire Fire & Rescue – e-cigarette fires

Cheshire fire chiefs are warning people not to leave e-cigarettes on charge for long periods of time following recent incidents across the UK where devices have exploded.

Cheshire firefighters were called to a house in Sedgemere Avenue, Crewe, on March 18th after the householder had been awoken by an explosion in her bedroom. It had been caused by an electronic cigarette battery charger.

Helen Coles, her 18 year-old son, 14 year-old daughter and her son's girlfriend were all in the house at the time of the explosion, which burnt the carpet and filled the property with smoke.

Ms Coles said: "I had bought a new vapour cigarette from Liverpool shopping centre, used it that day, and then put it on charge by my bed before going to sleep"

"At around 3.30am the room lit up and there was an explosion. It sounded like a really loud firework and the room was scattered with melted plastic and black cinders. The smoke filled the upstairs of my house completely and it took over an hour with all the windows open to clear it. The smell lasted for about a week".

"If I had not been in the room at the time and reacted so quickly to dampen the sparks then my carpet would have definitely set on fire. If I had been in the firing line of the battery when it exploded it would cause serious damage as it flew across the room."

Helen had put out the fire herself but called in Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service the following day as a precaution.

Head of Community Safety and Community Fire Protection Keith Brooks said: "E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular and, with more people using the devices, we are seeing more and more incidents relating to them across the UK and we need to make sure that people know how to charge them safely".

"The family was very lucky that the fire did not take hold – the situation could have been a lot worse. We would urge people never to leave their e-cigarette on charge while they are away from the house or asleep and to always read the safety advice enclosed in the packaging to reduce the risk of a fire."

Keith Brooks added: "Our advice for e-cigarettes is the same as for many smaller electrical appliances such as mobile phones and laptops- don't be tempted to buy cheap unbranded chargers, don't leave them to charge whilst you are out of the house or asleep and keep them well away from flammable materials."

Advice has been issued nationally to e-cigarette users after reports of several devices exploding while charging, causing minor fires:

• Never leave e-cigarettes on charge unattended for long periods
• Do not mix components of different e-cigarettes
• Only use the charger supplied
• Ensure you purchase your e-cigarette from a reputable source
• Check the e-cigarette carries CE certification
• Test your smoke alarm regularly
• Contact Trading Standards over any e-cigarette safety concerns

For further information please call Sarah on 01606 868451 or email sarah.dornford-may@cheshirefire.gov.uk at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.