Cheap fresheners 'can burn your house down'

FIRE experts have issued an urgent home safety warning after a fifth house fire in South Devon was caused by a faulty plug-in air freshener.

Latest victim Pauline Coppen, from Torquay, said today: "My advice is not buy them because they could burn your house down."

Safety officers, who revealed all five blazes have happened over the last two months, are advising people to make sure they buy only kitemark-approved gadgets — and not cheap, sub-standard items from bargain basement shops.

The note of caution was sounded after such a gadget caused a hallway fire at 66-year-old Mrs Coppen's three-storey home in Chelston's Innerbrook Road yesterday.

She said: "I paid £1 for the thing about a year ago. I won't be buying another after this.

"I could have lost everything. As it is the damage is up to about £300."

She was in her garden when she heard the smoke alarm burst into life.

"I heard this beep, beep, beep and there was the fire in the hallway. I rang the fire brigade and got out. I left the front door open for the firemen because I didn't want our door bashed in.

"I also grabbed some coats which were hanging above the socket where the fire was."

She added: "If I had not been at home it could have been very nasty indeed. The freshener had only been plugged in for a few minutes."

Fire spokesman Alan Gilson, who attended the incident, said: "This could have been a serious incident if the owner had not been home at the time and a smoke alarm had not been fitted."

He revealed that a supervisory officer who attended the incident confirmed that this was the fifth fire at property in South Devon in the last two months where the cause was an air freshener.

"People should treat these devices like any other plug-in appliance — and that means unplugging them when leaving the property," said Watch Commander Gilson after the 9.20am shout.

He revealed that further inquiries would be made with the Torquay retailer who sold the device.

The gadget's melting plastic dripped on to a pair of Reebok training shoes which caught alight, sending flames up the wall and triggering the nearby detector.

Mrs Coppen said: "The telephone cable also melted. The carpet was damaged and the electrics were affected. It has cost us £300 so far. But it could have been so much more."

Trading Standards officials in Torquay said they had not received any complaints of faulty plug-in air fresheners.

Fire safety officer Pat Tyler advised people to buy only British Standard kitemark fresheners or CE European accredited devices which both have fitted safety fuses.

Mrs Coppen said: "It was the only one I had. I won't be getting any more."