The area in, around and above the electrical outlet burned. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 8.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Firefighters were called to a house on the 200 block of Classe Road south of Ethel early this morning where a living room wall had caught fire.
It was caused by an overheating cell phone charger, according to Lewis County Fire District 8.
Chief Duran McDaniel said it melted the plug, ignited the wallboard and had been “cooking” for awhile but burned itself out.
“It’s not the first charger I’ve heard of catching walls on fire,” McDaniel said. “It’s something the public needs to think about.”
A crew pulled the wall apart to make sure nothing more was burning, he said.
McDaniel suggested that folks need to be cautious with chargers, as all electronics have a chance of overheating.
“If your phone charger is really hot, it’s a potential problem,” he said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter