London Fire Brigade has issued a warning to never overload extension leads after two homes in Dulwich were destroyed by a blaze on Saturday.
Fire broke out in the property, a house converted into flats in Carson Road at around 11.30pm.
Four people left the building before crews arrived, with two men needing treatment for smoke inhalation.
A maisonette flat on the first floor and a loft conversion were gutted by the fire, which the brigade says was likely caused by a fault in an extension lead.
The blaze was brought under control by 1am after four fire engines and around 25 firefighters arrived from West Norwood and Brixton stations.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Overloaded sockets are one of the most common causes of electrical fires.
“Some electrical appliances use more power than others, so be mindful of not overloading your extension leads.
“Power-hungry appliances such as kettles, toasters and microwaves shouldn’t be on the same extension.
“It’s also important to fully unwind drum extensions leads. If you leave them coiled, they can overheat and cause a fire.”
Advice for using extension leads safely
- Some appliances use more power than others, so be mindful of not overloading your extension leads. Power-hungry appliances such as kettles, toasters and microwaves shouldn’t be on the same extension.
- Always use a fused ‘inline’ type – not the plug-in cube type – but be really careful not to overload it. This is all too easy if you add extra adaptors/extensions, or appliances that use lots of power like kettles, tumble dryers or heaters.
- It’s also important to fully unwind drum extension leads. If you leave them coiled, they can overheat and cause a fire.