Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding communities of the dangers of electrical appliances in homes this Electrical Fire Safety Week.

Last year (2025) firefighters attended 10 fires started by an electrical appliance in a kitchen such as a washing machine, washer dryer, tumble dryer and dishwasher.

One family didn’t have smoke alarms and others had been running their appliances overnight or when they were not in the property.

Using electrical items is part of a regular routine for many individuals, so making sure to use them when awake and alert is crucial and can lower the risk of fire.

Station Commander for Community Fire Safety, Hannah Archdeacon, said: “We are reminding communities of the dangers of electrical items in properties if they are not used safely and with care and attention.

“Having working smoke alarms in your property will alert you should a fire occur, so it is important to make sure you have these on every floor and test them at least once a month.”

A few quick checks will make a big difference in making sure your home is safe from a potential electrical fire:

• Only run kitchen appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers when you are at home, awake, and alert
• Register your appliances with the manufacturer. This will help you to receive safety notices and recalls. You can also register your appliances through
  https://www.registermyappliance.org.uk
• Charge devices such as mobile phones when awake and alert. These chargers can overheat and cause fire when left plugged in over long periods or overnight
• Make sure to keep electrical fuses, wiring and sockets well maintained and do not overload your plug sockets. If you have an electrical item that sometimes trips or has a damaged cable, now is the time to get rid of it
• Do not dispose lithium-ion batteries in your regular household recycling. Doing so can cause fires. Many local shops have a battery bank where you can dispose of them, and recycling centres can also take them
• If you’re looking to buy an e-scooter or e-bike, to decrease the chances of buying a unsafe battery look for a CE mark and buy from a reputable manufacturer.

Hannah added: “A lot of your everyday household items will contain lithium-ion batteries such as wireless earphones, mobile phones, games consoles, rechargable hoovers and power tools.

“Please charge these items safely. Make sure you are inside the property and unplug them before you go to sleep.

“When it comes to purchasing new chargers, make sure to buy these from reputable manufacturers. It may be tempting to buy them cheap to save a few pennies however there is no guarantee these will meet the safety regulations required.”

Take charge and be safe this Electrical Fire Safety Week. If you are interested in knowing how fire safe your home is, why not use the Service’s online home fire safety check to find out.