Firefighters from Porthmadog and Harlech attended a fire in a property in Morfa Bychan at 7.48pm on Tuesday 15^th November 2016.

The cause of the fire has been established as an overheated battery in a mobile phone which resulted in the bedroom being completely destroyed by fire and smoke and severe smoke damage to the rest of the first floor. There was also smoke damage to the ground floor of the property.

Stuart Millington, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: “This incident highlights how quickly a fire can spread. Our advice is that you only ever purchase chargers from a reputable source. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidance, turn chargers off and unplug them before you go to bed and never leave items on charge or unattended for long periods.

“You should always charge your phone on a hard surface. Do not charge it on bedding or any combustible surface.

“Smoke alarms give an early warning of a fire and allow you to escape from the property and call the fire and rescue service. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm installed in your property and test it weekly.”

Here is the link to a video showing how quickly a fire can develop in a bedroom as a result of a mobile phone charging - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgCaZEH35ys&t=12s