A mobile phone on charge caught fire in a house in Leverington in the early hours of this morning (August 8).

Three people were treated for smoke inhalation and were left in the care of ambulance crews.

The incident happened just after 12.38am on Roman Bank.

Firefighters arrived at the house fire and extinguished it using a hose reel.

A fire service spokesman said: “The fire was caused by a mobile phone that was charging on the floor. As the phone got hotter from charging it caused the carpet to catch alight and burn through to the underlay.

“Leaving a mobile phone plugged in overnight can cause it to overheat once the battery is fully charged. We advise to only charge any device until full and then unplug it.

“When the crews arrived they found the occupant had re-entered the bedroom to try and extinguish the fire.

“It is important to evacuate the property as soon as a fire is found and not return to try and tackle it. Ensure all people are out of the property and where possible close doors while exiting the building, as this will help to prevent the fire from spreading.”

Firefighters returned to their station at 1.41am

The cause of the fire was accidental.