DORSET & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service have urged residents not to plug large appliances into extension leads following a house fire in Bournemouth.

Crews from Redhill Park and Westbourne attended the incident on Alton Road on Thursday January 27.

After inspection, the fire, which was out on arrival, was found to be caused by an extension cable rated to ten amps, which was used to supply a 13 amp tumble dryer.

 

The socket on the extension cable overheated and caught fire.

Following the incident, the fire service want to reiterate their “important safety message” about using large appliances.

A spokesman from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Thankfully, the property had well-positioned and working smoke alarms, meaning the occupants were able to get out safely.

“Wherever possible, don’t plug large appliances into an extension lead. Remember – one plug per socket. If you need more plugs than there are sockets, don’t use block adaptors, but use a multi-socket extension lead with integral fuse.

“These do have a limit to how many amps they can take, so be careful not to overload, and always completely unwind cable reels. Take a look at the socket overload calculator to see what is safe.”

For more electrical safety advice, visit www.dwfire.org.uk/electrical-safety.