Firefighters have issued advice after a fire this week which started from an overloaded plug socket. Crews were pictured at the scene off Wigginton Road in Gatcombe Place after 6pm on Wednesday, June 7. Thankfully no one was injured.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed: “We are urging residents to ensure their electrical items are safe to use following a fire caused by overloaded sockets in Tamworth.”
“Crews from Tamworth and Tamworth Mercia were called to Wigginton Road just before 6.15pm yesterday (Wednesday, 7 June). They found a fire inside which had sparked after plug sockets had been overloaded.”
“Thankfully, firefighters managed to extinguish the fire quickly and no one was injured inside.”
It comes after recent statistics showed that faulty electrics, like overloaded sockets and defective electrical appliances caused over 7,000 house fires in Staffordshire.
Group manager Rich Williams gave advice on how people can use their electrical appliances safely: “Please make sure that all electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them.”
“Don’t overload your sockets – keep one appliance to one plug where possible and use the socket overload calculator to reduce the risk of an accidental fire in your home. If you’re using a high-powered appliance like a washing machine, make sure they have a single plug socket and they aren’t plugged into an extension lead.”
You can be checked your electrical appliances for recalls or safety warnings by looking at our summary of the latest product recalls here.
You can also find the full list of recalls here.
