A man was found dead after a fire believed to have been caused by an exploding E-cigarette.
The 62-year-old was discovered when Merseyside Police called firefighters to a property in Wallasey, Wirral, after a small bedroom fire, the Liverpool Echo reports.
While the cause of the man’s death has not yet been confirmed, fire investigators believe the blaze was caused by an exploding E-cigarette.
Emergency services were called to Penkett Road at 11.39am on Tuesday following a fire in a bedroom that had extinguished before firefighters arrived.
A spokeswoman for Merseyside Fire and Rescue told the ECHO: “The 62-year-old male casualty was discovered in the living room of the property.
“Whilst the exact cause of death is yet to be established, the subsequent fire investigation identified that an E-Cigarette that had been charging in the bedroom exploded, caught fire and ignited the oxygen tube of an oxygen concentrator [a piece of medical equipment that regulates oxygen supply], which may have been in use by the occupier.
“There was a small amount of smoke damage to the property. One fire appliance attended the incident.”
While an inquest will be held to determine the cause of the man’s death, the incident has led Merseyside Fire and Rescue to launch a huge “reassurance campaign”, as well as issuing safety advice on the use of E-cigarettes.
