A MAN suffered smoke inhalation after trying to put out a bedroom fire caused by an overheating battery charger.
Fire crews from Frinton and Clacton were called to the blaze at house in Peake Avenue, Kirby Cross, after the resident heard his smoke alarms going off.
The incident happened at about 5pm on Tuesday.
On arrival, crews reported that the second floor of a three storey house was on fire and worked to extinguish it by 6pm.
The fire, which has left the property uninhabitable due to the smoke damage, was caused after a battery charger overheated.
A man was left in the care of the ambulance service after suffering smoke inhalation when attempting to tackle the fire when it was smaller.
Aftermath - Picture: Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
Nick Singleton, Essex Fire Service's operational and community risk manager for North Essex said: “I’d really like to highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms on every floor of your home, they alerted this resident to this fire which was on another floor.
“We understand your immediate reaction might be to try and tackle a smaller fire yourself, but we strongly advise against this as the risk of suffering from smoke inhalation and burns are serious and fires can spread quickly.
“When charging larger batteries, we recommend remaining in the room with them as they can overheat quickly."
Mr Singleton also criticised motorists for parking badly in the road, which delayed crews as tehy rushed to the scene.
He said: “We'd like to highlight the importance of parking considerately.
"Crews were delayed on their way to this incident by badly parked cars.
"When you’re parking your car, please think about whether a fire engine, ambulance or police vehicle can get through in an emergency.”
Following the incident, Essex Fire Service said there are particular danger signs to look out for on all electrical items you have around your home and that if you think something needs fixing or changing do it straight away.
Advice related to charges includes:
- Don’t leave items on charge or plugged in overnight or whilst you are out of the house
- Never leave plugged in and turned on when they are not in use
- Don’t leave items on charge for long periods
- Only use the charger supplied by the manufacturer
- Look out for the CE mark that indicates chargers comply with European Safety standards
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