Dad returns from school run to find family home on fire after vape explodes

A dad had an awful shock when he returned home to find that his house was on fire after a vape exploded.

Craig Sweeney had left his home in Kibblesworth to do the school run. However, when he got back he found that the house had caught fire.

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His 21-year-old daughter had left a vape on her bedside table while they went out. Even though the vape had not been left on for very long it exploded before falling onto the bed and starting a fire.

Craig's daughter discovered the fire when she went up to her room, with the original plan having been to pop to the shops after school. However, Craig changed his mind as the children were 'in no mood' after school.

Luckily, the family went straight home and discovered the fire before it could spread any further.

Craig said: “When we got back, my oldest went straight upstairs and when she opened the door to her room yelled ‘Dad there’s a fire’. I panicked. I got the kids and the dogs out the house, woke my wife and turned off the electrics."

The 42-year-old added: “I dread to think what would have happened if we didn’t get back to the house when we did, my wife was upstairs in the next room asleep, the fire could have easily spread.

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"Thank god my daughter had closed that door to keep the dogs out of her room, it kept the fire and smoke from spreading to the rest of the house."

Fortunately, firefighters were able to get the fire under control before it could spread.

Vapes use lithium-ion batteries, which can be very dangerous if not used properly as they can be very prone to overheating and can cause fires even when not plugged in.

Nicole Mordecai, who leads the Prevention and Education team for the West district, said: “Even though the vape that cause this incident was bought from a reputable source, it wasn’t plugged in and left charging for long, and was on a hard surface, the nature of the battery can cause fire in the home. Thankfully Craig’s daughter closed the door to her bedroom that afternoon, otherwise the situation could have been much worse.

“We would never expect people to tackle a fire in their home, it can be so dangerous and cause significant injuries but we understand that in a moment of panic like Craig was you may just want to act."