PHOTO: Overheated battery causes fire - two dogs rescued

Firefighters have given safety advice about electrical goods and chargers after a remote control car battery exploded at a house in Marks Tey earlier today.

Crews from Colchester and Tiptree fire stations were called to a house fire in Coggeshall Road, Marks Tey after a battery in a remote control car overheated and exploded while charging in the kitchen.

The occupant had been in the room keeping an eye on the charger and when it had finished charging, he went to remove the battery when it exploded and caught alight.

Control Room Operators advised the occupants to stay out of the house while waiting for the Fire Service.

When crews arrived, they used dry powder to extinguish the fire and ventilate the room by 1:14pm.

Firefighters rescued two dogs from the property, a Jack Russell cross and a Daschund. The two occupants and the two dogs were all unharmed during the incident.

Crew Manager Darren Waite from Tiptree Fire Station said: “With Christmas coming, if you are looking to buy electrical goods or chargers, please do your research on the item beforehand to make sure these are genuine goods with the CE Mark and that they are not copies. The occupants at this address believed they had bought genuine goods and sometimes it’s hard to tell when you buy online. We advise you always look for the CE mark.

“When charging electrical goods, make sure the battery and charger are in good condition and stay in the room while charging. Never charge items overnight or while you are out of the house.”

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Tiptree Fire Station is recruiting on-call firefighters. If you live or work within 5 minutes of Tiptree Fire Station, you could be paid to protect your community as an on-call firefighter.

Find out more about the role a join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call