Rechargeable vapes can cause fires to spread quickly, says Oxfordshire fire service
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue is warning people about the fire hazards of charging vapes incorrectly
Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service is warning people that rechargeable vapes can cause fire to spread quickly due to its lithium-ion battery.
They are also urging any vape users to charge their device correctly and dispose their single use vapes safely to help prevent fires breaking out.
It follows the governments ban on disposable vapes as more people have been forced to turn to rechargeable and refillable options.
The new law came into force yesterday, in an effort to cut down on the number of young people vaping.
Deb Forder, safety manager at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, says “there is a fire risk associated with anything that holds a lithium-ion battery and that includes your vapes.”
Ms Forder said: “If you're recharging your vape, just make sure that you're using the manufacturer approved chargers.
“Looking for cheap alternatives may seem like may seem appealing, but very rarely are they suitably safely checked, so if they don't have the CE mark, they're not guaranteed to be safe for you.”
She added: “They may be tested to a standard that's suitable for the country of origin, but it may not be suitable for use within the UK.”
Ms Forder also says that single-use vapes need to be safely thrown away by “making sure that you send it to a battery recycling centre.
“Don't use your household waste, especially if it's got a wheelie bin symbol that's crossed out. That means it's not suitable for your household waste.”