Urgent warning issued over vapes after exploding device set house on fire leaving family grateful to be alive
2 August 2023, 20:10
An urgent warning on vapes has been issued to the public after a fire broke out in a family home after one of the devices exploded.
The fire broke out in a Gateshead, Tyne and Wear last month when a vape was left on a bedside table, before exploding and falling onto a nearby bed while the family was out.
Craig Sweeney left his home in Kibblesworth to pick up his kids from school with his daughter, who left the vape on the side.
“We had just popped out to grab the kids from school and the initial plan was to run to the shop quickly before returning home. But I changed my mind as the kids were clearly in no mood once they had finished school," he told the fire service.
“When we got back, my oldest went straight upstairs and when she opened the door to her room yelled ‘Dad there’s a fire’.
“I panicked. I got the kids and the dogs out the house, woke my wife and turned off the electrics.”
Mr Sweeney asked his kids to call 999, while he went to go find his wife who was resting in bed unwell at the time.
Nobody was seriously harmed in the fire but Mr Sweeney’s wife, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend all had to be treated for smoke inhalation following the incident.
His wife also had to spend a night in hospital following the incident but was later discharged and sent home.
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“I dread to think what would have happened if we didn’t get back to the house when we did, my wife was upstairs in the next room asleep, The fire could have easily spread,” he continued.
“Thank god my daughter had closed that door to keep the dogs out of her room, it kept the fire and smoke from spreading to the rest of the house.”
Responding to the incident, Nicole Mordecai, who leads a Prevention and Education team for Tyne and Wear Fire Service said: “Vapes have lithium ion batteries inside them which can be extremely volatile making them prone to overheating and causing fires in the home.
“Even though the vape that cause this incident was bought from a reputable source, it wasn’t plugged in and left charging for long, and was on a hard surface, the nature of the battery can cause fire in the home.
“Thankfully Craig’s daughter closed the door to her bedroom that afternoon, otherwise the situation could have been much worse.
“We would never expect people to tackle a fire in their home, it can be so dangerous and cause significant injuries but we understand that in a moment of panic like Craig was you may just want to act.
“Please check you have working smoke alarms in your property and get in touch if you need new ones fitted, they are the first line of response we have to a fire in the home and they’ve saved countless lives so we want everyone to have them in their homes.
“Remember if you do have a fire in your home, close the doors if you can, this slows the fire and prevents it from spreading through your home, get out, stay out and call 999.”
The Fire Service also issued reminders to the public not to throw away vapes in regular bins, as their batteries mean they need to be disposed of in recycling centres.
