"ONLY use the charger your item came with to power it up."
That's the message from Trading Standards officers following a house fire caused by the owner using the wrong charger for an e-cigarette.
A 5 volt USB charger was left charging the 4.2 volt electronic cigarette, and it is believed the fire at the property on Poplar Road, Cleethorpes, was caused because a different charger was used, rather than the charger the e-cigarette was bought with.
Neil Clark, Community Protection Manager responsible for Trading Standards, said: "It might surprise some people to learn that seemingly harmless, low voltage USB chargers can start a house fire.
"In this case the homeowner had bought two different makes of e-cigarette and each came with its own USB charger.
"He did not realise the two chargers had different voltages and left the room while the e-cigarette was left connected to the wrong charger.
"When the charger ignited it set fire to an armchair and carpet and the man burnt his hand trying to extinguish the flames.
"Luckily he had a working smoke alarm fitted, otherwise it could have been much worse."
An armchair and carpet were damaged in the incident, which happened at 11pm on Thursday, August 22.
Councillor Hazel Chase, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: "The advice from our officers is to only use electrical charging devices with the products for which they were intended.
"Mixing and matching different voltages, even with low-voltage devices, could result in damage to your home or a serious injury."
A spokeperson from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said: "I cannot stress enough the dangers mixing up electrical chargers pose, it's simply not worth the risk.
"Electrical fires in the home can have devastating effects. This fire could have been much worse had the occupier not been alerted to the fire by the smoke alarm.
"Smoke alarms really can save lives as they give an early warning should a fire break out, I urge all home owners to ensure they have working smoke alarms and test them weekly."
Trading Standards can be contacted for advice on consumer matters through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506 or online at www.adviceguide.org.uk.
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