E-cigarette left charging sparks fire in Caloocan

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A fire allegedly caused by an electronic cigarette left charging in an electrical socket gutted a room of a house in Barangay Bagong Silang, Caloocan City on Friday midnight.

According to a report from the Caloocan City Police, Wencis Lao Saratobias, owner of the two-storey house, was asleep when he suddenly woke up smelling something burning. He saw smoke and realized his room was on fire.

Village officials immediately relayed the emergency to the city headquarters of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which then deployed two fire trucks in the area. Authorities contained the fire around 1 a.m.

Initial investigation by the BFP showed that the fire started near an electrical socket where an e-cigarette being charged was left unattended. /jpv