A house in Harehills, Leeds was set ablaze this Bank Holiday Monday (7th May 2018) by a fire in a cellar that involved a fuse board.

Two fire engines were dispatched to the fire just before 13:30, and the crews managed to extinguish the blaze using two breathing apparatus and a single hose reel on the property in Ashton Place. West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service reported that no smoke detectors we present in the property.

Smoke detectors can be a lifesaver especially during the night when most people are asleep. ‘Fuseboard’ or consumer unit fires can be caused by a number of factors. Poorly terminated conductors can increase resistance and therefore heat. Overloaded or incorrectly rated fuses or circuit breakers will also increase the amount of heat within the system and therefore increase fire risk.

An EICR is a report that details the condition of your electrical installation and it’s recommended that you perform one every 10 years on a residential property. It details and deviations from the wiring regulations & can be used like an action plan to improve the electrical safety within your home. On top of this, only ever use electricians or other competent tradespeople (such as a plumber who’s qualified to wire in their own boiler) to perform electrical work.