FIREFIGHTERS are warning people to take care when charging electrical items after a mobile phone overheated and sparked a house fire in the early hours.
A middle-aged woman and her three teenage children awoke at 2.30am yesterday (Thursday) to find smoke billowing from the kitchen of their semi-detached council home in Axebridge Road, Whitley when the device caught fire and the flames spread to a plastic bag.
Crews from Wokingham Road and Whitley Wood Station arrived within minutes to put out the blaze - which caused 10% damage to the room.
Whitley Wood watch manager Rob Crook reminded people to switch off unwanted electrical items before going to bed.
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