Electrical appliances causing a quarter of fires in Shropshire
A quarter of all fires in Shropshire homes last year were caused by electrical appliances, it was revealed today.
A total of 59 out of 233 house fires in the county in 2014 were electrical fires typically involving portable heaters, chargers, washing machines, microwaves, light fittings and toasters. The figures were released as Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service prepares to launch Electrical Fire Safety Week.
An added danger is that most people fail to register their new electric products, which means they are unaware when a faulty product is recalled, said Becky Castle, of the brigade's Fire Prevention Department.
The average success rate of an electrical product recall in the UK is between 10 and 20 per cent, revealed Electrical Safety First, the charity which organises the awareness week each year to reduce deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents.
"Sadly, few people register their new appliances so they are not contacted when there is a product recall which means there are potentially a large number of dangerous appliances out there," Miss Castle said.
"We will also highlight the dangers of overloading sockets, particularly extension leads and adapters. Householders should not overload sockets, but should turn off appliances after use, watch out for hot plugs and sockets, check leads and plugs for wear and tear, and don't use tape to join wires.
Stuart West, chairman of Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority, will join firefighters and staff at Curry's store in Meole Brace Retail Park, Shrewsbury, on Monday from 11am to 1pm to launch Shropshire's annual fire safety awareness campaign.
Members of the fire prevention team will give out advice about electrical safety to store customers and highlight the importance of registering new products.
For more details on fire safety in the home visit www.shropshirefire.gov.uk or call 01743 260200 for a home safety visit from the Community Fire Safety department.
