Firefighters issue battery warning for Christmas after fire at Milton home

A fire at a Milton home is believed to have been started when freshly-charged batteries were put in a bag with other batteries.

Fire crews say the heat from the batteries that had been charging caused thermal runaway, which started the fire in the utility room at the home in Willow Crescent.

Two crews from Cambridge attended and used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and a large fan to clear the smoke on 17 December.

The fire service said: “If you are getting prepared for Christmas Day and charging batteries ready to power new toys and gadgets, leave the batteries to cool before putting them away or using them. Always charge any battery when awake and alert and don’t overcharge batteries, once they are charged turn the charger off.

“Also, please do not put used batteries in household bins as they can cause fires in bin lorries and landfill sites. Many supermarkets offer battery recycling now.”