The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning to the public about the use of electrical items, after attending an incident on Sunday.
Last night, November 24, crews attended and "swiftly dealt with" a fire in an upstairs bedroom of a home. In their warning, a NIFRS spokesperson said the fire was started by an extension lead plugged in and left on the mattress.
They added: "For your safety, please ensure all electrical items are turned off and unplugged when not in use and extension leads have sufficient air to remain cool and are kept off soft furnishings."
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In advice around electrical equipment, the fire service says electrical items have the potential to overheat and start a fire in the home.
Their advice is to reduce this risk by switching off items when not in use, and don’t charge items longer than the manufacturers recommend.
NIFRS advice on electrics in the home:
If you are using extra portable heaters during the winter months, make sure they are kept away from soft furnishings and Christmas decorations. Overloaded sockets can cause a fire due to overheating – use this Electrical Socket Calculator to check you aren’t overloading your sockets or extension leads. Check your Christmas lights are in good working order before using. Look for the BS Kite mark to ensure that your lights meet the appropriate standard. Always turn Christmas lights off before going to bed, or if you are leaving the house. If buying new electrical items look for the British Standard or CE mark to ensure equipment and chargers comply with UK or European Safety Standards. Don’t run appliances at night when the household is asleep. Don’t plug an extension lead into another extension. Don’t use electric blankets if there are signs of scorch marks. Also make sure to store them flat, and check them regularly for wear and tear, and avoid using a water bottle when already using an electric blanket as water and electrics don’t mix.Cooking appliances have been revealed as the leading cause of electrical house fires across Northern Ireland, new figures show.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has been called out to more than 1,600 electrical fires in the last three years, an investigation has revealed.
Figures obtained by Legal Expert show that of those, more than 1,100 (68 per cent) happened in domestic properties with ovens and cookers found to be the leading appliances to cause electrical house fires across the region. Around 4,000 house fires across the UK every year are caused by faulty electrics, according to the UK Home Office.
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