More than 20,000 house fires are caused by electricity each year in the UK. This is why we work with people like Michelle, to help protect others from the devastating effects of an electrical fire.
Michelle Harvey was at home with her partner Neil Thomas when their recalled dishwasher caught fire, destroying their home and leaving them with thousands of pounds worth of damage.
She said: “We were upstairs tidying when we could hear the blinds cracking at the windows downstairs. My partner Neil is very safety conscious - he thought we might have left the windows open and went to check.”
“The next thing Neil was screaming that there was a fire and to get out. I ran downstairs to see the hallway covered in thick black smoke and flames pouring out the front of the dishwasher door.”
Michelle worries that there are a lot of other people living with recalled products who haven’t been notified and hopes her experience will encourage others to check their appliances.
“Our landlord hadn’t bought the machine. It came with the house when they purchased it and was there when we moved in. We had no idea of its history or that it had been recalled. It was an accident waiting to happen and I’m so relieved that we were there when it did.”
“I blamed myself to begin with and thought I must have overloaded the dishwasher or something like that but it was a fault with the machine that caused the fire.”
Michelle’s story featured in our latest campaign for Electrical Fire Safety Week. She helped us to reach millions of people, urging them to check that their appliances are safe. Her story was shared in the news and she also did some radio and TV interviews for us too.
Have you been injured, or has your home been damaged by an electrical item? Sharing your story could mean saving someone else from a similar experience.
Get in touch with our friendly media team by calling 07866 702069 or emailing sophia.alipour@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk - they will be happy to hear from you.
More posts by Jenna Haldane