PerthNow reported that a battery charger lying on a bed started a fire that badly damaged a Clarkson family home on 25 March 2014. The report said the four-bedroom house was empty, the family dog was found safe, and damage was estimated at $400,000. The charger and the fire’s precise technical cause were not identified in the available account.
What happened at the Clarkson home?
According to PerthNow’s report dated 25 March 2014, emergency services were called to a four-bedroom, two-bathroom property on Pridmore Glen at 11:08 a.m. The report said the fire began with a battery charger lying on a bed. About 18 firefighters attended, and the blaze was extinguished by 12:10 p.m.
PerthNow estimated the damage at $400,000 and said the family was left without a home. Nobody was there when the fire broke out. The family initially feared for its dog, which was found safe at the property.
What is known—and not known—about the cause?
The charger’s make and model, the device it was charging, and the battery chemistry are not identified in the PerthNow account. The available source also does not establish an official final cause determination. It is therefore accurate to say the contemporaneous report attributed the fire to a battery charger on a bed, but not to name a specific technical failure or claim that a lithium-ion battery was involved.
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How to charge devices more safely
Current advice from Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) concerns safer charging generally; it is not a finding about the 2014 Clarkson fire. DFES recommends:
- Use the charger supplied with the device, or certified third-party charging equipment compatible with the battery specifications.
- Charge on a hard surface, away from beds, couches, carpet and other combustible or insulating surfaces, as well as flammable materials.
- Avoid charging unattended or overnight, and disconnect the device once it is fully charged.
- Consider smoke or heat alarms in places where devices are often charged, particularly garages.
DFES Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said in a department release on 6 August 2021: “Make sure charging batteries are in a safe place away from flammable items, place them on a hard surface, don’t leave them unattended and always purchase reputable products,” he said. An alarm is a detection measure; DFES does not say one would have prevented or changed the Clarkson fire.
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What to do if a large battery is smoking or burning
DFES warns that lithium-ion battery failure can involve thermal runaway, toxic and flammable gases, and intense fire. This is general guidance and does not identify the chemistry involved in Clarkson. If a large battery or device is smoking or burning, DFES advises people to evacuate, keep others out, call Triple Zero (000), and wait for emergency services.
In a campaign release dated 30 June 2026, DFES said Western Australian firefighters were responding to more than three lithium-ion battery-related incidents a week. That figure describes responses in Western Australia in the context of that release; it is not a count of fires in Clarkson or evidence about the 2014 incident.
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