Overheated battery causes fire

Firefighters have given their safety advice after a Lithimium-ion battery in a scooter left on charge had overheated and caused a fire.

The resident heard their smoke alarms going off and called the Fire Service.

Firefighters were called to a house in Thorpe Bay and found the living room heavily smoke logged. Crews extinguished the fire by 1:34pm.

A man was left in the care of the Ambulance Service after suffering smoke inhalation.

Crew Manager Gabriel from Southend Fire Station said: “If you’re charging anything with a Lithium-ion battery, please never leave it charging unattended and make sure not to overcharge the product as the battery can quickly overheat.

“We’d also like to stress the importance of having a working smoke alarm on every level of your home, this resident was alerted quickly to the fire after hearing his smoke alarms and could call us out quickly.”

Do you have working smoke alarms?

We want every home in Essex to have a working smoke alarm on every floor. If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms at home, please get in touch so we can see how best to provide fire safety advice, either through a Home Safety Visit or advice over the phone. You can get in touch with us at essex-fire.gov.uk/book