Plug-in air freshener overheats and sparks house fire

Last updated at 20:24 29 November 2007


A warning was issued over plug-in air fresheners last night after one overheated and caused a serious fire.

Sarah Cooper, a mother of three, left the Ambi-Pur device plugged into a kitchen socket while the family visited friends.

The £4 freshener overheated and set fire to a pile of clothes before the blaze spread to other parts of the kitchen.

A neighbour heard the smoke alarm and alerted Mrs Cooper, 28, of Chorley,

Lancashire.

She called the fire brigade who put the fire out before it spread through the house.

The air-freshener had melted around the socket and scorched the surrounding wall.

Around 68million plug-in air fresheners are sold in Britain every year.

Fire chiefs have warned that leaving them plugged in for long periods could be risky.

And Mrs Cooper, whose children are aged nine, seven, and four, hopes her lucky escape on November 21 will act as a warning to other families.

"I dread to think what would have happened if we had been asleep. I'm so glad we had a smoke alarm," she said.

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plug-in fire

There are many different plug-in air fresheners on the market.

Most operate by using electricity to warm up fragrant gel capsules that gradually spread around the room.

There is no conclusive evidence that plugins pose a fire risk.

But SC Johnson, the U.S. maker of Glade fresheners, has been dogged by unsubstantiated internet claims that its PlugIns brand has caused fires.

The firm issued a statement on its website saying: "It is important that you know that all of our Plug-Ins products are safe and will not cause fires."

Demand for air fresheners shows no signs of abating.

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The UK is the biggest market in Europe, with more than one in five of all air fresheners sold here.

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue service said: "There are a lot of these plug-in air fresheners and scent dispensers about.

"We would advise people there is a health warning with the fire risk of it overheating."

A spokesman for Sara Lee, which makes the Ambi-Pur brand, said they had contacted Mrs Cooper and asked her to return the device.

"Once the diffuser has been returned to us, the cause of the incident can be investigated," said the spokesman.

"We always take consumer complaints seriously and as soon as we have established the nature of the complaint we will take appropriate measures.

"Prior to this assessment we are unable to provide further comment."

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