Fire safety advice after Portsmouth resident chucks water on alight plugged-in toaster - and escapes with just singed hair
FIREFIGHTERS have issued safety advice after a resident dealt with a toaster fire by throwing a bucket of water on it while it was still plugged in - which could have made the incident worse.
Cosham Fire Station were called to Tara Court at Twyford Way just before 8.30pm, where an elderly resident’s toaster had blown up, causing it to set alight.
Crew manager Stephen Alchin said the man chucked a bucket of water on the toaster while it was still plugged in, risking electrocution, in a bid to put the fire out.
He said: ‘The whole room was full of smoke, the man was cooking a fried egg, which he left unattended, so that was burning as well - it was at the point of catching fire.
‘Should you have a fire on your cooker the best thing to do is get the gas or electricity turned off, get your phone, close the door behind you, go outside and call us and wait for us to come.
‘If you put water on an appliance like a toaster because it’s on fire and it’s plugged in, you could be electrocuted.
‘This incident could have been worse, the man’s hair was singed but he was okay.’