A fire department is warning parents to check where their child’s cell phone charger is located due to risk of fire.
The Newton New Hampshire Fire Department posted about the dangers of charging cell phones and other devices on beds or under pillows to Facebook, noting that 53 percent of children and teens charge their devices in bed.
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In the post, the department warned that the charger can overhead, resulting in the bed or pillow catching fire. The post has been shared nearly 25,000 since first being posted in June.
As Scary Mommy reports, the risk presented by charging devices in bed isn’t just potential. There have been reports of fires breaking out due to children charging phones and tablets in bed.
A 10-year-old in Northern Ireland was recently awakened to the smell of smoke from his phone in the middle of the night. While there was no fire, the phone had severely overheated and had started to smolder.
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In November, a 15-year-old girl from Wales awoke to find her home in flames after leaving her phone to charge on her bed. The family escaped unharmed, but their home was uninhabitable for six months due to damage from the fire.
While the Newton Fire Department’s post is geared towards parents, the advice is for everyone who may charge their device in bed.
“Please check where you and your family charge your mobile devices,” the post read.
