Following an electric blanket incident which left a man fighting for breath, Kent Fire and Rescue Service is urging everyone to test their smoke alarms weekly, and take extra care if opting for alternative or more cost effective ways to stay warm.

“It was a simple mistake, but I now realise how easily you could die from smoke - test your smoke alarms today!”

Those are the words of Adrian Bevan from Edenbridge, who had a lucky escape when his electric blanket overheated as he slept – filling his bedroom, and his lungs, with acrid smoke. 

 At his home in Albion Way on the evening of 29 November 2022, Adrian warmed his bed with his late mother’s old electric blanket.

When he was finished with it, he put the blanket on the floor and went to bed – but forgot to manually switch it off, and it didn’t have a timer or automatic shut off function like more modern products. 

An hour later, he woke up choking and gasping for air.

“The room was full of thick, black smoke, I couldn’t see and I could hardly breathe” said Adrian. “My eyes and throat were burning with toxic fumes, made even worse because I’m asthmatic – it really was very scary”

“I crawled out and shut the door behind me – remembering that’s what the fire service says to do to contain smoke or fire.”

The 61-year-old got outside to safety and called 999 for the fire service. Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to investigate, and provided Adrian with oxygen. He was then looked after by SECAmb paramedics for further checks and treatment. 

Adrian said: “Firefighters found the electric blanket smouldering, releasing toxic smoke, and burning through the bedroom rug and nearly into the floor. They fitted me new smoke alarms there and then too, because mine hadn’t worked at all! 

“This was all a simple mistake, I forgot to turn the electric blanket off, and I am very lucky to have woken up when I did  – I urge everyone to test their smoke alarms because they could save your life. 

“Modern electric blankets have better safety functions than older ones, but I will never use one again. There are safer options like hot water bottles – just make sure it’s not overfilled, properly closed, and in a cover.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service Crew Manager Mark Moore said: “We’re thankful Adrian is ok. He absolutely had a lucky escape - just a few more minutes in that room could have resulted in a very different outcome. Had his smoke alarms been working, it’s likely he would have woken up much sooner and not suffered that level of smoke inhalation - a reminder to everyone to test their smoke alarms once a week! 

“We know some people are thinking about alternative ways to stay warm and save money at the moment, so we expect more electric blankets may be used this winter. Therefore, we’re urging everyone to always save safely, and please follow our simple safety tips if planning to use an electric blanket.

Electric blanket safety tips

• Check your electric blanket for wear and tear – if it’s damaged don’t use it
• If buying a new one, get it from a reputable supplier and make sure it has safety functions like a timer and automatic switch off
• If borrowing or buying second hand from a friend or online marketplace, examine it first – if there’s wear and tear don’t use it
• Be sure not to use an electric blanket and a hot water bottle at the same time – liquid and electricity don’t mix
• Don’t ever allow someone with incontinence to use an electric blanket –  liquid and electricity don’t mix

Remember, test your smoke alarm once a week to help protect you, your home and your loved ones - It's best to have at least one installed on each floor of your property.

Read more here.