As Londoners gear up for the festive season, Firefighters have issued a warning to buy the appropriate charger for your products after a flat fire on City Road in Hackney.
The Brigade's Fire Investigators believe the fire was caused by the failure of a battery pack bought online by the family for an electric scooter that ignited the nearby synthetic Christmas tree.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Charlie Puglsey said: "We want every Londoner to have a safe Christmas. It isn’t worth putting your life at risk and potentially destroying your home by buying a charger that’s not from your product’s manufacturer to save a few pounds.
"Genuine chargers may cost a little bit more, and while you may think you're only paying for the brand name, you are actually buying peace of mind because you know the charger is going to be specifically designed for your electrical item and that it will meet the correct safety standards.
"It's also vitally important to use the correct type of charger for your product.
"Using an incompatible charger runs the risk of over-charging, which can have explosive results and cause a fire which could destroy your home and put lives at risk too.”
Shoreditch Watch Manager Richard Reed, who was at the scene, said: "The residents were alerted to the fire by a heat detector located in the kitchen area and immediately calling 999. They tried to take their 12 pet snakes out with them but there was too much smoke in the room so they did the right thing and closed the door behind them."
A small part of a third floor flat was damaged by fire. Forty-three people left the building before the arrival of the Brigade. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus led a man and a woman were to safety via the internal staircase. The pet snakes were unharmed but sadly, a chameleon died.
The Brigade was called at 0308 and the fire was under control at 0352. Five fire engines and around 35 firefighters from Shoreditch, Islington, Whitechapel, Dowgate, and Euston fire stations attended the scene.