Buy e-cig chargers from reputable suppliers say firefighters following a fire in Flint.

North Wales Fire and Rescue service are warning people about the dangers of faulty e-cigarette chargers.

Two firefighter crews from Flint and Holywell were called to a fire at a property on Windsor Drive, Flint last Wednesday morning, 29th April.

The cause is thought to have been a faulty e-cigarette charger unit situated in the bedroom, at the time of the incident there were four people in the property.

They were alerted to the fire when the smoke alarms operated, all the occupants got out of the house safely before fire crews arrived, one person received a precautionary check from paramedics at the scene due to smoke inhalation.

Firefighters used two sets of breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to tackle the fire which was contained to the bedroom, causing 50% smoke damage, with a further 10% smoke damage to the landing of the property.

Chris Nott, Community Safety Manager, said:

“The people in the property were extremely fortunate, with only one of them requiring treatment for minor smoke inhalation. It could easily have been a more serious incident, Crews successfully managed to contain the fire to the bedroom, and the situation was under control by 10.31hrs.

“The incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a fire can spread – and how important it is to use electrical items correctly and operate them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

“Across the UK, firefighters are finding that e-cigarettes can carry an increased risk of fire and we would therefore strongly urge that extra care is needed when using them.

“All e-cigarettes use a rechargeable battery to power the vaporiser and these batteries require recharging on a regular basis.

“Our advice is to only ever purchase these products from a reputable source and only use the battery and charger provided with the e-cigarette when charging. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidance and turn off and unplug them before you go to bed. Never mix and match chargers – always use the charger supplied.

“E-cigarettes are known to overheat when charging. Never leave any electrical items on charge or unattended for prolonged periods.”

Further advice is available on the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service website.