Overheated smartphone can cause house fire

This year so far already 50 people have died in a house fire in Belgium. Many of the fires have been linked to the increased use of technological gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, which can overheat easily and catch fire, writes De Standaard.

Tim Renders, fire safety project coordinator at the Belgian Federal Public Service Home Affairs, is sounding the alarm after receiving the figures from the Ministry of the Interior: In 2012, 29 people died in a house fire, a figure that is based on data from 88% of the fire departments. Halfway through this year the counter is already at 50 deaths, "an alarmingly high number," says Renders.

Modern lifestyles are partially to blame for the incidents, as people have more electronic gadgets around the house that are on standby or charging for a long time, which can lead to overheating. "It’s never a good idea to leave electronic devices to charge for too long unattended," warns Renders. "The devices are almost all made of plastic and do not need much to catch fire.”