Wrong charger warning as hair clippers catch fire in Shropshire

Firefighters were called to a small kitchen fire after the homeowner was alerted by a smoke alarm in Much Wenlock at about 4.34am on Tuesday.

And after examining the blaze, the fire investigation officer determined an overheating charger attached to hair clippers had started the fire.

The connector for the charger fitted the clippers but should not have been attached as it was for a different device, firefighters said.

The voltage from the charger was too high for the clippers and caused the electrical current to generate excessive heat, melting the charging device and spreading to nearby items.

Station commander for North Shropshire, Chris White said: “Fires like these can be avoided by ensuring electrical devices are only charged using the charger they are supplied with.

“Many devices these days are portable and use a variety of different charging leads and plugs which may look compatible but could easily contribute to the cause of a fire.

“We may also have new devices around the home because of lockdown such as hair clippers. If this is the case, you should register them online so you will know if there are any safety repairs or recalls.

“If the device is next to a fridge for example, this can quickly escalate into a dangerous situation with highly flammable and toxic materials.

"Fortunately, the smoke alarm alerted the attention of the homeowner who was able to quickly extinguish the fire before is was able to spread."

Crews from Much Wenlock and Tweedale were called to the blaze.

• If an appliance or cable is hot to touch, turn off the circuit breaker to the electrical outlet into which the appliance is plugged. Wait several minutes for the plug to cool before removing it from the electrical outlet. Do not plug the appliance into another outlet. If a loose outlet appears to be the problem that caused the plug to overheat, call an electrician to examine the outlet and replace it if necessary.