On Thursday 15 February, Lilydale CFA responded to a parked car fire that was “reportedly smouldering in the Bunnings carpark”.
At around 5.30pm, crews were called to the location, where the fire had been extinguished by the owner of the vehicle and an off-duty member who happened to be in the store at the time.
This prevented the fire from spreading to other vehicles.
“Initial assessment of the scene indicated that the likely cause was a portable phone battery charger that was on the front passenger seat,” Lilydale CFA said.
“This is a timely reminder to understand the risks posed by chargers such as these, and what steps you can take to minimise them.”