Faulty IPad charger causes fire which killed rescue centre dogs

Monday 22 February 2016

Firefighters say a fire that killed four dogs at a rescue centre in First Tower last week looks like it started because of a faulty IPad charger which overheated.

The fire in the kitchen of the home on St Aubin’s Inner Road on Thursday blocked the dogs’ escape from the house to the garden outside.

Firefighters were called at 5 pm when the two owners of the house came home to find smoke alarms going off and smoke coming out of the kitchen.

It was too late to save three of the six dogs that had been trapped by the flames and smoke – the remaining dogs were taken to a vet’s surgery, but one of them died later that night.

Fire investigators spent several hours at the scene, interviewing the owners and carrying out electrical tests. The fire started at a double plug socket at the back of the kitchen work surface where an IPad Air 2 was charging. 

The house is understood to be a sanctuary registered under the Animal Welfare (Jersey) Law 2004 which takes in animals from southern Ireland and Spain to rehome them.

Chief Fire Officer Mark James said “This is the first time we have attended a fire caused by an Apple Charger in Jersey. Although these types of fires are rare our advice is do not leave devices charging for long periods of time and to turn of chargers when they are not in use, when you leave your home and when you go to bed.”

Here's some other electrical advice from the Fire Service:

• Don't leave tablets or laptops charging on soft furnishings, beds and duvets as this increases the chance of them overheating.
• Don't use imitation electrical chargers as they may be unsafe and make sure electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark on them.
• Keep checking for frayed or worn cables and wires and remember scorch marks, flickering lights, hog plugs and sockets, fuses that low or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons could be signs of loose or dangerous wiring.
• If there is a fire Get Out, Stay Out, Call 999. Never use water on an electrical fire. Pull the plug out or switch the power off if it is safe to do so. 

(Picture credit: Jersey Fire & Rescue)