Mother’s warning after laptop sparks house fire
7:20pm Sunday 5th September 2010 in News
A MOTHER is warning of the dangers of using laptop computers after a large blaze at her home.
Sally-Anne Smith, of The Drive, Bury, has been left with a clean-up bill costing thousands of pounds because of a faulty battery in a computer.
Mrs Smith said: “I thought the main danger from laptops was from the charger, because it provides an electricity supply.
“I never thought there was a risk from the battery itself.
“I would urge people not to leave their laptops switched on or plugged in, even if they are in the house. They should always be switched off.”
Her daughter, Isabel, aged 15, had been using a Compaq laptop on her bedroom floor at 12.15am yesterday. Then her brother, Richard, aged 20, asked to use it, so she unplugged it and was about to pass it to him when the battery came out.
It started a small fire in the bedroom, which they managed to put out, but the battery exploded again and a larger fire broke out. Some 30 firefighters spent four hours tackling the fire, which destroyed Isabel’s bedroom and caused extremely heavy smoke damage to the house.
The family were not injured in the fire, but Isabel suffered from shock and fainted outside the house.
She was treated by paramedics at the scene, but declined hospital treatment.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, which is focusing on the laptop.
