Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Sunday's fire at a Emmet Belknap Intermediate School in Lockport is giving many of us pause to take a look at charging safely. The school has remained closed in the aftermath of a fire that was caused by a stack of charging electronic devices, officials say.
One tech expert for WBEN tells us it's important for all of us to check the cord of your chargers carefully.
Lockport Fire Chief Luca Quagliano also cautions the devices come with a warning that they require space for heat to dissipate, especially while charging. "Most people probably don't think too much of plugging a device in, and leaving it overnight. Or, he added, "leaving chargers plugged in for long periods of time."
Garrett Cleversley of Mac Solutions Plus says there's something else to be aware of. "Definitely use certified charging devices and cables. Not those cheap knockoffs you find that aren't certified," says Cleversley. He says when it comes to Apple, they're MiFi certified and they have built in-chips to avoid overcharging and causing issues. "If you ever get your batteries replaced in those devices, make sure you're getting them from either your authorized Samsung dealer or Apple dealer because those are all certified and have far less issues."
Cleversley says knockoffs that don't have the chip can put too much charge on the phones or tablets and they'll definitely get warmer than normal. With regards to the Lockport incident, 'I'm not sure what happened in the tablet player. I know that they're stacked on top of each other but I'm not sure if we're using certified chargers or or what happened there but definitely certified chargers and cables will minimize your issues."
Cleversley adds it's important to check your charger wires and cables for signs of fraying. "You know it feels like it's getting excessively hot and you know switch to a different cable or charger but definitely if they're starting to fray it and stop using them because then that shielding is broken," reminds Cleversley.
Belknap School remains closed following the Sunday fire.
