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A Kilmore family is urging Victorians to install smoke alarms in their bedrooms and to not charge their devices on bedding after their house was recently damaged by a fire in the early hours.
Just after 4am on Monday, 9 June, Kilmore, Wallan and Broadford CFA crews attended the scene after an iPad that was on charge under a pillow caught fire.
Mother of four, Jessica, said the iPad, charging between the bedhead and the pillow on the top bunk in the bedroom of two of her children, exploded from the heat and ignited a large flame.
"I was alerted by my son yelling and screaming because he got burnt from debris falling from the top of the bunk. He woke us up by saying there was fire on his bed," Jessica said.
"I was in pure shock and surprise. All I wanted to do was make sure my kids were safe.
"My initial actions were to try and put the fire out, so we put water on it, and that obviously didn't work, so we closed the door and ran safely out of the house."
With no existing home fire escape plan in place, Jessica wishes she could go back in time, having had conversations with her family earlier about what they would do in an emergency.
"Although you often feel a charger heat up, you never think anything will actually happen," Jessica said.
"My son was extremely terrified. He is fully aware of the dangers and now doesn't charge his phone anywhere near the bed."
Due to the family closing the bedroom doors, the fire was able to be contained to the bedroom, however both Jessica and her son sustained injuries from the blaze.
"I got burnt on my toe, and my 14-year-old got third degree burns on his arm," Jessica said.
With school holidays approaching and families spending more time indoors, Jessica strongly urges parents to ensure all their devices are not being put on charge inside bedrooms.
"To have had this happen, it was just so scary and traumatic. I'd love for people to remain safe and not encounter what we went through," Jessica said.
"Please be mindful of where you are charging devices. I'd recommend charging on benches away from any kind of fabric materials and preferably not overnight."
Although smoke alarms were installed in the hallway, just outside the closed bedroom doors, Jessica was in such shock she did not hear them.
Residents are reminded smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom and living area and to assist in helping your family to safety, interconnected smoke alarms are recommended, so that when one alarm activates, all smoke alarms will sound.
"I'm now focusing on getting safer cords with surge and overload protection and I'm also going to deck my house out with more smoke alarms insides our bedrooms and fire extinguishers throughout the house," Jessica said.
Learn how you can further safeguard your family during emergencies at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/smokealarms.
