Laptop left charging causes blaze at home in Stone

Fire crews were called to a two-storey house in Oxford Road, Stone at 9.25 pm where a blaze had started in a laptop on top of a pile of books in a bedroom.

The laptop was plugged in because it was charging and had been left unattended.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hose reels to put out the fire and a fan to clear the smoke.

The room was partly damaged by fire, and fully damaged by smoke.

Small tools and a thermal imaging camera were also used to help ensure the fire was out, and oxygen was provided to a man who was suffering the effects of breathing in smoke.

Watch Commander James Tuffley said: “A home fire safety check had previously been undertaken at the property, and the smoke alarms fitted by firefighters had alerted the occupants to the fire, and enabled them to escape safely.

“They had also remembered our safety advice about keeping internal doors closed, and this action limited the fire growth and smoke damage to the room of origin so the bedroom was the only room affected by this fire.

“There are some specific safety messages that we give relating to electrical items as unfortunately people do underestimate the risks associated with electricity in the home.

“Items placed on charge can get warm, as we believe happened on this occasion, so it’s really important to keep them away from combustible materials, and don’t leave them on charge and unattended.”