AN OVERHEATED Laptop set fire to a pile of clothes in a Headington house this morning.

Fire crews from Slade Park and Rewley Road fire stations in Oxford attended the property in Quarry Hollow at 8am.

Fire fighters quickly established that the blaze involved a laptop that was on charge, and located in a chest of drawers in the bedroom.

One of the residents had tried to put the flames out using a dry powder fire extinguisher but some of the clothing was still alight.

Fire fighters removed the drawers from the house and placed it in the garden to minimise smoke damage, before using high powered fans to remove any remaining smoke from the building.

An investigation into the cause of the fire determined that the laptop had overheated while charging due to being covered by clothing.

Crew manager Dan Shepherd from Slade Park fire station said: “The residents took quick action to try and put the fire out but we’d always advise that in the event of a fire in the home everyone should get out, get the fire service out and stay out.”

Station manager Simon Belcher who also attended added: “All electrical items should be charged and powered in accordance with the manufacturers guidance.

“Heat is always produced when an electrical item is being charged, so it is imperative that you never cover such items up during this process or they could catch fire and lead to a far more devastating outcome. Fortunately no one was hurt in this incident.”