Fresh warnings against fake phone chargers after dodgy iPhone lead sparks devastating house blaze
A house in Somerset suffered significant damage after a fire caused by a fake phone charger
THE London Fire Brigade has issued fresh warnings about using fake phone chargers after a dodgy iPhone cable led to a house fire.
Fire engines were sent to a house in Closworth, Somerset, at 1.43am on Sunday March 24 to reports of a kitchen fire caused by a charging phone.
No injuries were reported but the kitchen was damaged by fire and smoke.
Devon & Somerset Fire service warned that fake chargers are often made with poor quality components that fail to meet UK safety regulations.
It advised shoppers to buy chargers from reputable retailers.
A spokesperson said: "Three fire engines were sent to a property in Yeovil after a call to fire control saying there was a fire in the kitchen.
"When crews arrived at the property they confirmed there was a kitchen fire and they began putting it out.
"The fire involved a mobile phone charger. There was 10 per cent fire damage and 80 per cent smoke damage."
FIRE WARNING
Electrical Safety First, a charity committed to reduce deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents, reported that 98 per cent of ‘fake’ chargers “put consumers at risk of lethal electric shock and fire”.
Martyn Allen, Technical Director at Electrical Safety First, said: “This report shows that anyone purchasing an iPhone charger from an online marketplace or at an independent discount store is taking serious risk with their safety.”
Further research by ESF showed 85 per cent of consumers shop for electrical items online, where it is very hard to spot a fake.
Katie Vines from Bristol experienced this first hand when she bought a £5 iPhone charger from Amazon Marketplace.
How to spot ‘fake’ phone chargers
- Plug pin finish – The finish on genuine chargers is high quality, matte and uniform, fakes tend to be shiny.
- USB port – The USB port on a fake charger may be upside down or in a different place.
- Weight – Due to containing far less components ‘fake’ chargers tend to be much lighter.
- Materials – Fake chargers have a hollow, plastic feel to them, a genuine plug should feel full and solid.
The day it arrived she plugged her phone in her bedroom and the charger exploded a few feet away from her baby daughter.
The seller sent her a replacement, and the same thing happened a few days later in her kitchen.
Katie said: “Needless to say I won’t be taking risks by buying a cheap charger again”.
London Fire Brigade have also issued their own warnings about the dangers of fake chargers.
Their investigation found that while Apple iPhone chargers have 60 or more components in them, the counterfeits have less than half that.
Fire investigator Andrew Vaughan-Davies asked: “For the sake of saving a few pounds is it worth putting the lives of your family at risk and potentially destroying your home?”
Investigators also said these chargers had the potential to cause damage to the phone being charged.
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