E-cigarette charger thought to have started Thurso flat fire
AN e-cigarette charger was believed to be the cause of a fire which caused severe damage to a flat in Thurso.
The fire broke out at 7.23pm on Wednesday night at Janet Street when Scottish Fire and Rescue sent two appliances from Thurso and one from John O’ Groats to the scene.
The fire, which was located in the living room of a first floor flat, was well alight when crews arrived.
The two occupants had evacuated the flat prior to the arrival of firefighters.
Firefighters in breathing apparatus used one main jet and two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.
The flat was badly damaged by smoke and the living room suffered serious fire damage.
Group Manager John MacDonald said the fire was believed to have been caused by an e-cigarette charger and he issued advice to users of such products.
He said: “Although not specific to the circumstances of this incident we would like to advise only using the charger supplied with your e-cigarette and do not to use components from different e-cigarette manufacturers.
“There have also been case where over tightening of the product onto the charger may cause damage, resulting in overheating and potential fire.”
He added: “Ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, don’t leave them unattended whilst on charge and remove the battery from the charger when fully charged.”