Chameleon dies in City Road flat fire as fire fighters warn: ‘Don’t risk your life for a cheap charger’

Fire fighters have warned to buy the appropriate charger for devices, after a chameleon died in a third-floor flat fire.

London Fire Brigade investigators believe the fire in City Road was caused by the failure of a battery pack bought online for an electric scooter, which ignited a synthetic Christmas tree nearby.

The family were alerted to the fire by a heat detector in the kitchen and called 999 immediately. There was too much smoke in the room to take their 12 pet snakes out with them, so they “did the right thing” according to the LFB, and closed the door behind them.

A small part of a third floor flat was damaged by fire and the pet snakes were unharmed but sadly their pet chameleon died.

Fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus led a man and a woman to safety via the internal staircase, while 43 people had left the building before their arrival.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Charlie Puglsey said: “We want every Londoner to have a safe Christmas. It isn’t worth putting your life at risk and potentially destroying your home by buying a charger that’s not from your product’s manufacturer to save a few pounds.

“Genuine chargers may cost a little bit more, and while you may think you’re only paying for the brand name, you are actually buying peace of mind because you know the charger is going to be specifically designed for your electrical item and that it will meet the correct safety standards.”

He also explained the importance of using the correct type of charger for each product.

“Using an incompatible charger runs the risk of over-charging, which can have explosive results and cause a fire which could destroy your home and put lives at risk too,” he said.