Black Friday Safety: Firefighters urge public to use electrical devices safely following Bolton house fire

FIREFIGHTERS are urging residents to make sure they are using electrical devices safely and to never overload plug sockets or extension leads following a house fire in Bolton.

The warning comes on the eve of Black Friday, when residents across Greater Manchester will head out and try and grab a bargain on the latest gadgets and appliances.

Firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) were called last night (November 27) at around 11.15pm to Wigan Road in Westhoughton, Bolton to reports of a house fire.

Three fire engines from Hindley, Atherton and Bolton Central attended the scene and found a fire involving a first floor bedroom. Crews used one hose reel, two breathing apparatus and a positive pressure ventilation fan to tackle the fire. The damage was limited to the first floor of the property and crews were on the scene for around two hours.

An inspection of the scene revealed the fire had been caused by an overloaded extension lead. Crews also provided reassurance to the occupants of the house and at neighbouring properties.

Our advice to residents is:

• Never overload plug sockets or extension leads
• Keep extension leads to one per socket
• Keep combustible materials away from sources of heat
• Turn electrical products off at the socket when they are not being used
• Check wires and cables for fraying regularly

GMFRS’ Head of Prevention, Area Manager Damian O’Rourke, said: “By taking just a few simple measures, you can significantly reduce the chance of an electrical fire in your home, ensuring you and your family are kept safe.

“Fortunately at this incident, nobody was hurt and firefighters limited the damage to the first floor of the property, but it could have been far worse.

“Plugging too many appliances into one socket can cause overheating which can then lead to a fire, so please avoid doing this and only ever use one extension lead per socket.”

People are also being urged to think carefully about the electrical products they are buying and to make sure they are keeping safe during the Black Friday sales tomorrow (November 29).

Advice includes:

• Buy from a retailer you trust
• Check that your electrical product has not been recalled in the last six years by going to www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/recall
• Buy your electrical chargers from a reputable source
• Register your appliance at www.registermyappliance.org.uk so you are the first to know if any safety repairs or recalls
• Carry out a visual check of your electrical products

Area Manager O’Rourke continued: “We all love a bargain, but your family’s safety is not a price worth paying to save a few pounds. Please always buy your electrical products from a reputable retailer, fake and substandard products bought online can be extremely dangerous, as they can contain faulty parts that can overheat and catch fire. Products like this may look good from the outside, but they lack the essential safety components inside.

“Remember, if a bargain seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

If an electrical fire does start in your home Get Out, Stay Out, Call 999.

Never use water on an electrical fire and only pull the plug out or switch the power off if it is safe to do so.

For more electrical fire safety advice, click here.

Article Published: 28/11/2019 13:43 PM