Tanya Bennett faced a life-altering moment on June 9th when she got an alarming call.
“I was at work when my neighbor told me my house was on fire; she had already called the fire department,” Bennett recounted.
The 36-year-old had cleaned her home in Telford, England, the night before the fire, inadvertently leaving the vacuum plugged in overnight.
“When the firefighters told me it was due to the vacuum cleaner, I was in disbelief.”
After receiving the distressing news, Bennett rushed home, anxious about her three dogs: French Bulldog Lewie, and Cockapoos Monkey and Luna. Upon arrival, she found her house engulfed in flames and learned that only one dog, who had been shut in the kitchen, had been rescued at that point.
Bennett explained that the kitchen door was closed, preventing the fire from spreading there, leaving it the only undamaged room.
“The other two dogs were trapped upstairs in the smoke,” she recalled, emotional. “It was devastating. I was screaming and crying as they brought the dogs out one by one.”
“I feel completely devastated, helpless, and shocked,” she shared.
After the fire, Bennett went inside to evaluate the destruction.
“Everything is covered in soot; the TV cabinets have melted, and my clothes drawers are all smoky. Essentially, every item in the house is affected.”
“The entire place needs professional cleaning. You can’t even enter without safety gear.”
Currently, Bennett is without a home while repairs and cleaning are underway and is living in temporary accommodation. She’s relieved that her dogs are safe and has been caring for them during this tough time.
“I didn’t think a vacuum cleaner could cause such a fire. It’s insane how much destruction it led to. The dust inside is apparently very flammable,” Bennett pondered.
“You really should unplug anything when you’re done using it,” she advised.
“The power went out, but that didn’t stop the fire from starting up.”
Experts from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend unplugging appliances that can overheat to prevent electrical fires. However, they also note that battery-operated vacuums are becoming more common in American households.
