Fire at house converted into flats - Islington

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a fire at a house converted into flats on Mayton Street in Islington.

Half of a second floor flat in the three-storey building was damaged by fire. Five people left the flat before the Brigade arrived. Thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries.

The Brigade's Fire Investigators believe the fire was accidental and involved a lithium-ion battery pack.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Batteries can present a fire risk if they’re over-charged, short circuited, submerged in water or damaged, so it’s really important to protect them against being damaged and charge them safely.

“Unplug devices once they have finished charging and make sure you use the right charger for your device.”

The Brigade was called at 0349 and the incident was under control by 0638. Fire crews from Holloway, Kentish Town and Stoke Newington fire stations were at the scene.

 Firefighters' tips for charging your devices

• Always use the charger that came with your electrical item
• If you need to buy a replacement, always choose a branded, genuine product from a supplier you can trust. 
• Avoid storing, using or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
• Protect batteries against being damaged – that's crushed, punctured or immersed in water.
• Don’t leave items continuously on charge after the charge cycle is complete – it's best not to leave your phone plugged in overnight for example.
• Never cover chargers or charging devices – that includes using your laptop power lead in bed.