A FIRE that caused "severe damage" to a house in Flintshire is believed to have been started by a mobility scooter left on charge. 

Emergency services were called to the incident on the High Street in Bagillt at approximately 6pm on Sunday (September 22). 

At the height of the incident, four crews from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance alongside their Aerial Ladder Platform and Incident Command Unit.

Crews remained in place until after 7am on Monday (September 23). 

Today, the fire service have revealed that the blaze is thought to have been caused by a mobility scooter left on charge. 

A spokesperson said: "Please be very careful when charging items – a fire which caused severe damage to a house on High Street, Bagillt last night is thought to have been caused by a mobility scooter left on charge."

As a result, the service is warning residents to take care with batteries in your home. 

The spokesperson added: "The average UK household has many rechargeable items that contain lithium ion batteries such as laptops, mobile phones, e-scooters, e-cigarettes, and mobility vehicles.

"Each of these items has the potential to cause a serious fire in your home. The larger the battery, the larger the danger - and some of the largest lithium batteries can be found in mobility vehicles.

"These fires can develop very quickly, producing huge amounts of extremely toxic gases, these gases will render a person unconscious. The gas cloud is created so quickly and at such large quantities that it can fill a room or a corridor before your smoke alarm has had a chance to respond." 

The fire service has also issued advice to residents:

  • Always buy devices and replacement batteries from a reputable seller. Never be tempted to buy a lithium battery second-hand as you won’t know it’s history, damage it may have suffered or the dangers it could pose.
  • Always use the correct battery and charger for your device, and charge as per manufacturers’ instructions.
  • Charge items away from escape routes (never in a corridor or room that provides the only way out of your home) and disconnect the charger once charging is complete.
  • Don’t charge devices overnight when anyone is asleep or leave on charge when you’ve left the home.
  • Ensure that you charge your device in a room that has a working smoke alarm, which doesn’t compromise your escape route, keeping the door closed whilst it’s charging and away from any heat source.
  • If your device or equipment is stored without being used for any length of time, the battery should be removed.
  • In the event of a fire, don’t try and tackle it yourself - leave and call 999.