Laptop left charging on bed causes house fire in Bendigo

RNZ News

18-06-2025

By
Rebecca Norman
and
Emile Pavlich
, ABC News
Kate Robinson left her laptop on charge in her bedroom while running errangs. An hour later, she returned to find her house and yoga studio engulfed in flames.
Kate Robinson is warning people about the risks associated with leaving devices on charge. (ABC News: Emile Pavlich)
Photo:
ABC News: Emile Pavlich
When Kate Robinson thinks back to the sight of thick black smoke billowing from her roof last month, she becomes deeply distressed.
"There was nothing salvageable," she said.
Ms Robinson's Bendigo home and yoga studio were destroyed by fire on May 30, when she popped out for about an hour to run errands.
She returned to find her home on fire.
"I went into my bedroom and there were flames on my bed almost up the ceiling," she said.
Ms Robinson ran out of the burning building to find her dog, which had made its way outside, and ring triple-0.
She wants to warn others about the risks associated with leaving devices on charge.
The remnants of Ms Robinson's yoga studio after a laptop caught alight while charging on her bed. (Supplied: Kate Robinson)
Photo:
Supplied: Kate Robinson
Fire Rescue Victoria said the fire at Ms Robinson's home on Bakewell Street in North Bendigo was caused by a laptop charging on a bed.
A building insurer and a forensic fire expert showed Ms Robinson the burnt laptop and told her they believed the lithium battery inside the computer overheated on a blanket on her bed, causing it to catch alight.
"Once they started asking me questions about why there was so much intensity around my bed, and what was on my bed … I remembered that the laptop had been charging there," she said.
Ms Robinson said the laptop was an 18-month old AppleMac Pro and it had started to lose charge more often in the lead up to the fire.
"It seemed to be going flat a lot, which can identify a faulty battery," Ms Robinson.
Fire Rescue Victoria commander Craig Houlahan attended the blaze.
"It was clear the fire had actually started from the bed," he said.
"It was quite obvious with the development of the fire that it was the laptop, because of the battery."
Apple Australia has been contacted for comment.
The remains of the laptop after a fire ripped through Ms Robinson's property. (Supplied: FRV)
Photo:
Supplied: FRV
Commander Houlahan said the fire had prompted new warnings about the risks involved with leaving devices on charge unattended.
"The main thing is that if you're charging any electrical device, you have it on a hard surface and that allows it to cool," he said.
Mr Houlahan said across Victoria, there was at least one call to fire authorities every day related to charging devices.
"Over the years that's changed because a lot of our devices now are battery-operated," Mr Houlahan said.
His advice was to think about four key things before charging a laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
These included overheating of batteries through excessive charging, checking devices for damage, not charging in your bedroom and avoiding charging laptops overnight.
He also said working smoke alarms were crucial as a house fire could spread throughout a home within 3 minutes.
"Every bedroom should have a working smoke alarm in it," Mr Houlahan.
Ms Robinson is now living in a rental property offered through her insurer.
She said she was grateful to have been able to save her dog from the fire, and for her community's support, but the experience has stayed with her.
"There's still a lot of grief and sadness about losing my space," she said.
-
ABC