Toy car sparked fire whilst charging

Firefighters tackled a blaze in a New Milton flat on Sunday evening, where a battery-powered toy car had ignited.

Upon arrival, crews from New Milton and Lymington were met with smoke billowing from the building.

Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used two hose reels and two jets to extinguish the flames, which had already inflicted considerable damage.

Fortunately, the occupants had evacuated before the firefighters’ arrival, thanks to their fire alarm alerting them to the danger. However, they still needed treatment for smoke inhalation from paramedics and were later taken to the hospital for further assessment and care. Sadly, two cherished pet cats lost their lives in the tragic blaze.

Crews delivered safety messaging and advice to neighbouring residents before leaving the scene shortly after 9:30pm.

Sean England, Crew Manager at New Milton Fire Station, said:

“We were called out to a flat fire in New Milton involving a battery of a toy car left on charge.”

“We extinguished the fire which had caused significant damage to the property.”

“Thankfully, residents were swiftly alerted to the fire by working smoke alarms. These alarms had been recently installed during a Home Fire Safety visit carried out by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, demonstrating the invaluable impact of proactive safety measures.”

“This incident is also a reminder of the importance of buying all electrical goods from reputable sellers and to use the correct charger you brought with each item.”

To protect yourself, your family, and your home from fire, here are some top fire safety tips to keep in mind:

• Always use the charger that the device came with.
• If you need to buy a replacement, always choose a branded, genuine product from a supplier you can trust. There are lots of fakes out there, and it can be difficult to spot the difference.
• Avoid storing, using or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
• Don’t overload your sockets.

Never leave a charger plugged in overnight or unattended