A MOTHER and son made a lucky escape from their Penmaenmawr home when a laptop caught fire, after it was discovered their smoke alarm had no batteries in it.
Fire crews from Llanfairfechan were called to a house on Fernbrook Road on Sunday afternoon to tackle a blaze caused by a laptop which was left charging unattending on a sofa.
No serious injuries were reported, but a man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
Talking after the incident, Darren Jones, County Operations Manager, said: “Two occupants were in the property at the time of the fire and the elderly woman has been extremely lucky this morning that her son saw the smoke coming from her bedroom as she was asleep in bed in the same room as where the fire started. We are advising people never to leave a laptop on unattended on a surface such as a bed or sofa which could ignite.
“Smoke alarms were installed in the property. However, the batteries had been removed. Without an active battery a smoke alarm is useless. All homes must have a working smoke alarm installed as they will give an early warning of a fire. They must be maintained regularly by testing the battery once a week and changing it according to the manufactures’ instructions. You should never disconnect them or remove the battery.
“There is no excuse for anyone in North Wales not to have smoke alarms as the Fire and Rescue Service are offering a free home fire safety check for everyone and will install smoke alarms where necessary. This service is completely free and I am urging everyone to request a visit by contacting our 24 hour hotline on freephone 0800 169 1234 or visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk”