House fire - South Cambs

17/12/2024 9.16AM

Two crews from Cambridge attended an address in Willow Crescent following a fire in a utility room. Firefighters used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and used a large fan to clear the smoke. The fire was caused by batteries. The resident had charged the batteries and put them in a bag with other batteries. It is believed the heat from the freshly charged batteries caused thermal runaway which caused the fire. 

If you are getting prepared for Christmas Day and charging batteries ready to power new toys and gadgets, leave the batteries to cool before putting them away or using them. Always charge any battery when awake and alert and don’t overcharge batteries, once they are charged turn the charger off.

Also, please do not put used batteries in household bins as they can cause fires in bin lorries and landfill sites. Many supermarkets offer battery recycling now.