Fire chief's warning after Alexa speaker covered by clothes sparks Wearside bedroom blaze

On Monday (January 31) two appliances from Rainton Bridge Community Fire Station and one from Farringdon Community Fire Station attended a bedroom blaze at a first floor Wearside property.

After being alerted to the incident at 9.40am, firefighters were “on the scene in matter of minutes in their breathing apparatus to begin extinguishing the fire”.

Explaining the cause of the fire, a post on Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service’s (TWFRS) Twitter page said: “The Alexa smart speaker had been covered in clothing, causing it to overheat and start a fire in the bedroom.

"Luckily, the occupants of the house were able to evacuate before our arrival. A huge thank you to our crews who were able to keep the damage to a minimum.”

Following the incident, TWFRS have issued a warning about covering electrical devices.

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Group Manager Tony Markwell said: “Anything electrical has the power to overheat, so shouldn’t be covered as this becomes a further fire hazard.

“Thankfully our crews were on scene quickly and were able to keep the damage to a minimum.

“It’s important to check your smoke alarms to make sure they are in working order as they are our first line of defence when it comes to fires.

“We can fit smoke and heat detectors for free, you just have to contact us on our website and a member of the team will be round to make sure your home is safe this year.”

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