DEVON & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service has issued a warning about the safe storage of electrical blankets after a fire in Cullompton.
The bedroom of a flat near the town centre was severely damaged by fire last Friday night (April 25) and the rest of the flat was severely damaged by smoke. Fire crews from Cullompton, Middlemoor and Tiverton attended the incident. The occupant was not in the flat at the time of the fire.
The fire investigation indicated that an electric blanket had been left on for more than 24 hours while in a compressed state on the floor at the end of the bed.
Station manager Graham Rooms said: “People removing electric blankets for the summer should store them in the correct way. They should not be folded or compressed as this can damage the wiring and potentially cause a fire when they are live.”
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