A Sydney mother has described the time when she realized her baby’s room was on fire after an overloaded electric hob went on.
Mae Short said the fire caused a short circuit in the house’s power supply, and also cut off the baby monitor next to 17-month-old Margot.
Short, of Manly on the Northern Beaches, said he felt “real and utter panic” when he heard the baby cough and realized what had happened early Friday.
Sydney’s mother said she came in to find her daughter’s room full of smoke. (new)
“Her room was full of smoke, like soot, it was very thick. I couldn’t see it or I couldn’t see anything in it,” he said.
“She was covered in soot and her mannequin (was) covered, everywhere, with her clothes.”
The mother of two wants others to know the dangers of the common mistakes that many people make.
The fire is believed to have been caused by an overloaded electrical board. (new)
Power plates can be overloaded by high-power appliances, including heaters.
“I already had an idea in my head that it wasn’t good to put too many things in, so I thought I’d go get a good one,” he said.
“But having a heater there, or anything that overloads that electric hob, is just a no,” he said.
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said he was “shocked” by the incident. (new)
Putting a smoke alarm inside a bedroom could also save lives.
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the family was lucky that the outcome was not worse.
“Frankly, it shocked me a little bit because that was so, so close to being a tragedy,” he said.
There have already been more than 80 house fires, which have caused four deaths, just two weeks into the winter.
The advice is to always check the power limit of the electric hob before charging it.