Rise in e-cig fires in South Yorkshire a 'serious situation'
South Yorkshire Fire are worried over the number of fires being caused by e-cigarettes in the county.
More and more people in South Yorkshire are putting their lives at risk by not charging e-cigarettes safely, according to the county's fire service.
They say they're seeing a rise in electrical fires and explosions - while almost every other type of fire's decreasing.
E-cigarettes are being blamed for the rise, with many people not charging them safely.
Trevor Bernard, Head of Community Safety for South Yorkshire Fire, says the situation's getting really serious:
"We've had the incidents of exploding e-cigarettes and a number of people have seen the video on YouTube where the cigarette explodes in the bar. This is a very serious situation and we're trying to make sure this type of incident, the awareness of them is raised and the public is given information on how to charge their e-cigarettes properly."
"We've seen a constant decline in other types of incident but now the electrical type fires have been increasing and they've been getting steady. We think there's a correlation with the electrical items - and e-cigarettes - as well as the rise in the number of fake electrical items we've seen in our shops as well."
Electricity is involved in about two thirds of all accidental house fires, with household appliances the most common culprits.
South Yorkshire Fire have attended 12 incidents caused by e-cigarettes since 2013 - they include one exploding whilst on charge in a van back in 2014 and a faulty charger overheating and falling on fabric last year.
They're offering this advice to avoid electrical fires caused by e-cigarettes:
• charge the device on a flat, solid and stable surface, such as a kitchen worktop
• keep the device away from flammable or combustible materials when charging
• never leave the device on a bed or close to soft furnishings, or in a cluttered space
• don’t exceed the recommended charging time, or leave unattended for any significant length of time
The Fire Service have also been trying to crack down on the number of fake e-cigs being sold in the county, alongside Trading Standards.
Trevor says e-cigarettes that aren't genuine can be even more dangerous:
"They've not been regulated - people make them in their own workshops and sell them on eBay or whatever. These fake items have not been checked out - they've not been through any tests and they will cause fires eventually. They will cause fires in people's homes and put lives at risk. Don't buy them - don't buy fakes. Buy the real item."