In the modern era, so much of daily life depends on electronics—and the cables connecting them to power sources.
With many of these charging cables containing a live wire, there is ample opportunity for them to become a fire hazard, if the insulating plastic coating around the wiring fails.
One mom is warning viewers on TikTok of the risk of fire resulting from a malfunctioning USB-C charging cable after she smelled something burning in her home.
In the video posted to TikTok by Jules (@homesteadingmommasaga), she tells more than 85,000 viewers that she was about to leave her house when she noticed a burning smell, but could not find the source at first.
“So I was sitting in my house getting ready to leave, and I could smell something burning,” she says in the video. “Something was definitely hot, like electronics or something, and I’m looking around and I’m freaking out because I can smell something, I can see smoke, but I don’t know what it is.”
Jules then made the discovery. “I finally figured it out,” she says. “My son had unplugged his tablet and left this sitting on this blanket. This is just a blanket, it’s not like a heated blanket, and this melted through his blanket.”
She says that if she had not found the source of the smoke—the cable and blanket—she thinks it could have grown to a house fire.
“Thank God I didn’t leave my house because my f*cking house probably could have caught on fire,” she says. “I don’t know why this happened, but this just literally melted through and I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why. So everyone, be careful with your [USB-C] chargers.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jules via TikTok direct message regarding the video.
How common is this?
Chargers and batteries are notorious for starting house fires when left in anything less than absolutely perfect circumstances. Recently, a home surveillance camera caught a dog chewing on a portable phone charger powered by a lithium ion battery, starting a house fire.
While it is not the same kind of cable shown in the video—a USB-C mostly used for charging tablets and gaming devices—Target has issued a recall for over 90,000 USB-lightning connector charging cables due to shock and fire risk.
@homesteadingmommasaga This could have ended badly #technology #electronics #melted #disasterdetail #fyp #becareful #almost #closecalls #fypツ ♬ original sound – Jules
Viewers weigh in
Some viewers suggested in the comments section that the charger might not have been rated for the electric load required to charge the tablet—through no fault of the poster, as many companies market their charging cables as being all-purpose.
“Not saying this is the reason it happened to you but many chargers now are inexpensive knockoffs and not certified for the devices intended,” one commenter wrote.
“I always replace The records that are provided by the manufacturer with Heavy duty chords,” another said.
“Wow that’s so scary,” a further user commented. “My worst nightmare! is it the original charger that came with the device?”
Others said they had long been fearful of the same thing happening to them, and made sure to unplug any chargers before they left their homes.
“Always. Unplug every charger, I even unplug anything electronic that I’m not using,” one commenter wrote.
“Always pull your chargers out of electrical outlet,” another commented. “It’s still pulling power when plugged in.”
“I always unplug from the wall,” a third added. “A phobia of mine, before I leave the home.”
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